The Further Adventures of the Dancing Princesses
by Queen Eleni
Summary: Sequel to my Adventures of the Dancing Princesses, takes place 2 and a half years after. Starring the princesses and a bunch of other nutty people.
1. Dramatis Personae

**The Further Adventures of the Dancing Princesses**

_Dramatis Personae_

_Beloeil_

King Claude

Princess Lavender

State Minister and Prince Appointed Jean Alain

Princess Betony and Faerie court

Princess Aster

Princess Lily

Doctor Francois Morret

Princess Ivy

Princess Rose

Captain Gaston Clementier

Princess Eglantine

David Beauforte, Duke of Galmans

Princess Marigold

Princess Celandine

Princess Columbine

Assistant Secretary of Finance Pierre Lefeyrac

Princess Alyssum Star-gazer

Head Gardener Michael Star-gazer

Lord Dalfeu, Keeper of the Royal Treasury

Lord and Lady Melfleur

Suzanne Dejolras

Elise Alain

_From Elsewhere_

King Antonio of Paloma

Prince Ferdinand of Paloma

Princess Maria of Paloma

Prince Andrei of Iluska

Prince Loc of Gemn

Prince Morgan of Eldyfa

Princess Laurel of Eldyfa


	2. Ch1 Return to Beloeil

**Chapter One: Return to Beloeil**

Town busybodies on the alert for news were very much interested by a young man riding through the square with a full saddlebag on either side of his bay horse. Madame Coulcy remarked to Madame Raulaire that his face was a familiar one but she could not quite place it. Mademoiselle Armand told her sister that the young man closely resembled someone she had seen once. But none of them could put a name to this interesting personage, and so the young man was able to proceed on his way without being addressed by a single soul.

The young man was clearly making his way toward the royal palace of Beloeil. When he reached the gate that led into the palace grounds, he was halted by one of the tall, rather stern-looking palace guards. The guard held a long spear at his side. But the young man's reaction was not one of fear. He looked at the spear critically and asked how long it measured.

"Six feet," replied the guard, too surprised by this mode of greeting to think of a more oppressing answer.

"That's about what I should have thought," said the young man. "But it looks a bit unbalanced, if you ask me. How does it handle?"

"That's none of your business, my lad," said the guard, adopting a menacing look, although truth be told he had never had occasion to actually use the spear. "Now you'll tell me what you mean by coming right up to the front gate, as bold as you please!"

"Oh, I have business with Lord Alain," the young man said. "The State Minister, you know. Or is he still called that? Should I say the Prince Appointed? I can never make out which is the most proper usage."

"And who should I tell the State Minister has come to call?"

"His brother," said the young man, fishing a letter out of one of his saddlebags. "Here, you had better read this, for I can see you don't mean to believe me."

The guard scanned the letter and appeared to be satisfied. He handed it back.

"I beg your pardon, Monsieur Lefeyrac, but I was just doing my duty," he said, opening the gate. "Stables are around on the west, and then there's a west side door where Lord Alain's office is. Show your letter to the guard there, and he will let you in."

"Thank you," said Pierre Lefeyrac with a smile and a nod. He urged his horse on, and was before long entering the office of Lord Jean Alain, State Minister and Prince Appointed of the Kingdom of Beloeil. His lordship glanced up as the door opened and his youngest brother announced himself.

"Hello, Jean," said Pierre, making long strides across the room. Alain quickly stood up from his desk and heartily shook his brother's hand.

"Pierre! How good to see you! I am glad you could respond to my message so quickly. Sit down, sit down," Alain said, indicating a chair. "How is my mother? And my stepfather, I hope he is in good health?"

"Oh, we're all being very robust at the moment." Pierre seated himself and stretched his long, rather gangly legs before him. "Except Henri's four got the measles a month ago and he managed to catch it from them. They're all well now, but you never saw such a sight as Henri with the measles. I felt quite sorry for him. Oh, and you may not have heard yet that Suzanne is expecting again. Actually, I know you haven't, for I carry her letter to you. It's with my things, along with letters from Mama and Elise and Sophie. But how are things here?"

"Much as usual," said Alain. "My in-laws shall all be happy to see you. And Lavender wishes me to bring you to her immediately after I have settled our matter of business."

"Sounds ominous," remarked Pierre. He added hastily, "I mean the matter of business, not Princess Lavender."

Lord Alain laughed. "I assure you, you have no need of fear on either matter. I merely wish to offer you a job."

"A job? But I already have one."

"Yes, I know. I wrote to Eugene about a month ago and he assures me that he will release you from his employ with much regret but no animosity should you wish to accept my offer. I should say King Claude's offer, for it is really he who wishes to employ you."

"You seem to have gone to a great deal of trouble over this," said Pierre, somewhat puzzled. "I don't see why the king should wish to employ me."

"Let me explain the situation. As State Minister I oversee pretty much everything that goes on in the kingdom. It is very time-consuming work, and though I am of course aided by the Royal Council, there are some matters in which additional help would be useful. Particularly as regards to finances. As you know, the Keeper of the Royal Treasury, Lord Dalfeu, is very old and is somewhat –er – lacking in the strength required to manage the treasury. Thus matters of finance fall to my lot and occupy a good deal of my attention. I have suggested to King Claude that the creation of a position such as a financial secretary would be much to the kingdom's advantage, and he has agreed. When we began to consult as to the proper person to fill this position, the king immediately thought of you and your predilection for mathematics."

"Do you mean the king wishes to hire me because he remembers me as the boy with the head for numbers?" asked Pierre, astonished. "I'm sure there must be fifty men better qualified than I. Not to mention older. Why, Jean, I'm only twenty-three, scarcely old enough to fill any kind of government position!"

"Nevertheless, we think you highly qualified. Eugene praises your work to the skies, and I know complete trust can be reposed in you."

"Well, of course. But are you sure?"

"Quite sure. Do you mean to accept?"

"I'd be a fool not to. I suppose I'd have to move into the city?"

"Yes, into the palace if it should suit you. That way you'd always be at hand for me to order around," said Alain with a grin. "Just like old times. Mother already knows of it, and although she cannot like to lose you, she is glad that you should be so placed."

"Well then, it seems like everybody has the matter settled for me, then," said Pierre cheerfully. "I'm much obliged to you Jean. When do I start?"

There was a slamming noise as a disheveled young woman ran into the room and closed the door quickly behind her. Startled, both gentlemen rose to their feet. Lord Alain, upon recognition of the intruder, immediately relaxed, but Pierre took a few more moments to examine her. The young lady stood panting with one hand leaning against the wall, strands of her thick black hair escaping from the ribbon which had secured it.

"Jean, you m-must hide me f-from Eglantine," she said when she had finally caught her breath. "I d-don't think she will look in h-here."

"I sincerely hope she won't," said Alain with feeling. "I have no wish to fall prey to one of her rants so early in the day. What have you done now, Columbine?"

"N-nothing!" protested Princess Columbine, the eleventh daughter of King Claude Guillaume Louis Jean Paul Demonde. "I d-don't even know why she's chasing m-me! Oh!" she exclaimed, noticing Pierre. "I d-didn't recognize you at f-first. You have a m-mustache now. How d-do you do?"

"Very well, Your Highness, and I am very glad to meet you again," said Pierre with a bow. "How is your bear?"

"Oh, he is s-splendid," said Columbine, warming instantly to one of her favorite subjects. "We h-had a new, l-larger cage built for h-him just two m-months ago, and he seems t-to be enjoying it."

"I should like to see him, when I have the chance."

"You c-could see him now, if you would like t-to come with me to the g-gardens."

"Unfortunately, he will have to wait, Columbine," interposed Alain. "I need to go over the duties of his new position with him, and then I must take him to see your father. He will have plenty opportunity to see your bear, as he will be taking up residency in the palace in a short period of time."

"W-will he?" she inquired. "Oh yes, I r-remember now. Father w-wanted to appoint him t-to work with the f-finances." A violet glint suddenly appeared in her wide gray eyes. "P-perhaps you could help m-me to persuade Father that we d-do have enough money in the r-royal treasury to b-build a zoological g-garden."

"Columbine has been trying to convince us of Beloeil's need for a zoological garden for the past year," commented Alain. "It is not a bad idea, but it is an expensive one."

"B-but only think!" pursued Columbine, perceiving that she had caught Pierre's interest. "It w-wouldn't just be there t-to puff off our royalty! We c-could open it to the p-public, and children c-could come to see animals f-from all over the world! I'm sure n-no other kingdom would h-have anything like it."

"It sounds like a marvelous idea," said Pierre enthusiastically, "but it does sound very costly."

"B-but if you could f-find a way to save money, w-we would have plenty f-for the zoological g-garden," Columbine pointed out. She saw that Alain was giving her a rather pointed look, and sighed. "Oh, v-very well, I can see I'm n-not wanted here and I'll g-go away. B-but do keep it in m-mind, Pierre." She went out through the outer door, presumably to find an adequate hideout in the gardens.

It was decided that Pierre was to spend the night at the palace, and then travel home to make his farewells and gather his belongings the following day. He was the guest of honor at dinner that evening, but very few of the royal family gave him any cause to stand on ceremony. Princess Aster was a bit stiff, but then she was not known to be of a generous disposition. And as for the bad-tempered Princess Eglantine, she was seated as far as she possibly could be from the guest. Pierre was seated at the king's right, across from his sister-in-law, and next to Princess Alyssum Star-gazer, who had walked over from the gardener's cottage, husband and child in tow, because her carefully prepared roast chicken had burnt in the fire. Pierre was pleased to converse with the young matron, who kept him (and indeed, all who could hear her) vastly entertained with stories of her culinary adventures.

"You see," Alyssum explained seriously, "when we set up housekeeping in the cottage, both Papa and Michael insisted that I should have a maid and a cook. Imagine! Two servants for a gardener's cottage, it was quite ridiculous even after we made it bigger by putting an extra room on the side after Melissa was born. Well, I agreed to it at first, because I had no notion of cookery or cleaning, none of us ever had, except for Rose, and I couldn't very well ask her to spend all her time at the cottage. But after a month I simply couldn't take it anymore, because they wouldn't let me do anything and I grew quite bored! So I let the cook go, and I only have the maid twice a week, and I do most everything myself, and quite enjoy it, except for when I ruin dinner. But what should that signify, when we can always come and eat here?"

Pierre agreed that it didn't signify at all and expressed his admiration for her efforts. "I myself am a very bad hand at cooking," he admitted. "I can do it, of course, for my mother made us all learn, but she said I was too precise in my measurements. I don't know why that should be a problem, but so it was."

"She made you all learn?" Princess Lavender regarded him with a gleam of amusement in her eyes. "Does that mean that Jean knows how to cook?" She turned to her husband seated beside her with raised brows.

"Only the rudiments," he replied briefly, looking warningly at his brother. But Pierre was rather immune to this kind of subtle hint.

"Oh, he could always make very fine sweet-biscuits," said Pierre confidingly, "I was very small when he left home, but I do remember the sweet-biscuits. He would shape them like different animals."

"But before Alyssum can entreat me to make some for Melissa, I must make it clear that I have long since forgotten how to make them," said Alain.

"Oh, I think Melissa is too young to be eating them, anyway," said Alyssum. "Though Rose will insist on making the child sweet things and giving them to her whenever my back is turned. The problem with this family," said Alyssum, informatively, "is too many aunts. Melissa is not yet two and she is already completely spoiled. I shudder to think how unmanageable it will be when I have two spoiled children to contend with."

"The more children, the less spoiled they shall be," Lavender pointed out. "Melissa is spoiled because there are no other children to spoil, unless Jean's nieces and nephews visit. With yours on the way, and Lily about to give birth, we aunts will have to divide our attentions." She said this with a look of gravity that gave Pierre no pause, but that caused Alain to quickly glance at her in concern. The look vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Yes, Princess Lily is married, is she not? I counted only nine princesses and was trying to recall who else was missing."

"She married the new doctor who replaced old Monsieur Leblanc. He came to prescribe for Celandine, saw Lily bathing Celandine's forehead with lavender water, and it was a case of love at first sight," said Alyssum, as one relating a gem of a story. "They have house in town, and Lily is expecting their first child in just a few weeks."

While Pierre was catching up on this sort of news, other conversations were being had across the dinner table. Michael Star-gazer, the royal Head Gardener, having failed to keep the attention of Lord Dalfeu, Keeper of the Royal Treasury, was engaged into listening to his wife's chatter while fixing one eye on the activities of his precocious daughter. Melissa was being handed from aunt to aunt and was making a good meal from the choicest tidbits of her admirers' plates. Aster and Ivy were having a rather dull talk about their day's activities, while Rose, Marigold, and Celandine were having a lively discussion about the rival merits of wide-brimmed hats and parasols. But the most noise came from the far end of the table, where Columbine was defending herself against Eglantine's accusations of deepest iniquity.

"I did n-not put a frog in your horse's w-watering trough!" Columbine protested.

"Well, who else would have? You're the only one who would even touch a frog!" Eglantine's blue eyes were glinting with the fire of battle, and wisps of her chestnut hair were curling about her forehead, as they always did when she was angered.

"It's a s-stable, for goodness' s-sake! I suppose a f-frog might manage t-to find his w-way in unassisted!"

"Do not frogs require water to survive?" queried Eglantine, not at all satisfied with this explanation. "Must they not live near ponds?"

"W-well, that explains why it w-was in the w-watering trough!" said Columbine, sure that anyone with any sense would find this reasonable. She then took little Melissa from Celandine's lap and proceeded to explain to her how caterpillars turned into butterflies. And Eglantine, who was eager and willing to antagonize anyone in the world excepting only her niece, was forced to give up the argument for the time being.

In their own quarters, later that evening, Alain asked his wife if she thought that Columbine was indeed responsible for the episode of the frog in the watering trough.

"No, I think not," said Lavender, unbraiding her long black hair. "Columbine never could lie at all. And Eglantine could never let anything go. I worry about her, Jean. She is twenty-four and has tantrums like a child. She has always been full of anger, but one cannot comprehend why."

"Can you not? I thought you knew everything."

"What a comfort it is to have such a deluded husband," said Lavender, amused. "And I believed you to be an uncommonly perceptive man."

"Perhaps I am more perceptive than you think," said Alain, leaning back in a winged armchair of which he was very fond. "For instance, I perceived that my graceless brother and your graceless sister spent all of two hours in almost exclusive conversation this evening."

"It is well that I was also practicing my powers of perception, or else I would have to ask to which of my graceless sisters you were alluding," returned Lavender, pulling a brush through her hair. "But I also noticed how companionable Pierre and Columbine are. They were probably the only two people in the room at all interested in the proper care and keeping of bears. Yet I wonder, my lord, if such an interest can form the basis of a lasting relationship, as you seem to think it might."

"Relationships have been based on more frivolous things," Alain pointed out. "I only mentioned it as a matter of interest. I daresay if they did come to feel affection stronger than friendship for the other, it would take at least five years for either of them to realize it. They are neither of them of a romantic disposition."

"Five years! You are too harsh. I think both of them too intelligent to delude themselves for so long."

"You forget that we deluded ourselves for ten years," Alain reminded her.

"No, for that was not the same. We both knew we were in love with the other, but would not admit it. You contend that they will not even realize it for themselves. I believe that if they do come to love each other, they would realize it before five years were up."

"Would you care to wager on that?" Alain's eyes gleamed conspiratorially.

"State affairs must have become quite dull if you have taken to betting on the marriage prospects of my sisters," observed Lavender, finishing her brushing, and coming to perch on the arm of Alain's chair. "Still, I believe I am right. If it takes more than five years for one or both to realize their love for each other, I will –"

"You will not pin your hair up in braids for a year," Alain supplied.

"Very well. And if it takes less than five years, you must take me to Eldyfa to visit Laurel and Morgan for a month and refuse to hear any messages of state importance."

"And how will we be sure that they have realized it?" asked Alain, suddenly aware of the flaw in this strategy.

"I told you Columbine is incapable of concealing the truth. If she is in love, I will surely know of it," said Lavender firmly.

"For the matter to rest on your judgment hardly seems fair," said Alain, pulling her onto his lap. "But I know better than to argue. Lavender, why did you look that way at dinner when you were speaking of children and aunts?"

Lavender did not meet his eye, but rested her head on his shoulder. "Did I look a particular way? I did not know it."

"Don't feign ignorance; I know you too well. Were you regretting that we have so far been unable to have children?"

"You know I regret it," said Lavender in a low voice. "I am getting old, Jean. I cannot bear the thought that we might never have a child of our own."

"Old? Don't be ridiculous. When you start getting gray hairs, you can talk about getting old."

"And when you have more than three of them, you can talk about it, too. Besides, I like your gray hairs."

"You're changing the subject. Lavender, I am perfectly satisfied. I would like a child, but I don't need one to be happy. Since we were wed, I have known the greatest joy, and I cannot ask for more." He pulled her tightly to him and she looked up at him and smiled.

"It was just a passing mood, Jean. I am more happy than I had ever thought possible. And now that I have more things to occupy my thoughts, I will have no time for such moods."

"And what would those things be?"

"Waiting for Columbine and Pierre to fall in love and reforming Eglantine's temper, of course. And if I could also find a nice domestic sort of man to marry Rose and then get Marigold to stop daydreaming about that awful Prince Loc and find something to motivate Celandine to spend only one day a week in bed, I should be perfectly content."


	3. Ch2 Of Horses, Fireflies, etc

Chapter Two: Of Horses, Fireflies, and Other Animals

**Chapter Two: Of Horses, Fireflies, and Other Animals**

Pierre Lefeyrac found no difficulty in adjusting to his new life as an inmate of the palace. He was an adaptable and good-natured fellow, liked by all, and he found his work neither too difficult nor too dull. His only fear had been that he might find the atmosphere at the palace very formal and stiff, not at all what he was accustomed to. But by the end of a week in his new surroundings, he had come to realize that the palace resembled a very lively circus more than it did a bastion of royal dignity. The king encouraged his first grandchild to run wild wherever she wished; Eglantine was constantly threatening violence to whoever crossed her; and Columbine rarely managed to get through a day without knocking over a priceless vase or accidentally letting one of her insect collection loose in a most unsuitable place. It was a place of high drama, and Pierre soon found himself in the midst of it.

During dinner one evening, Pierre mentioned to Princess Columbine that such a fine summer night was ideal for catching fireflies. Intrigued, the princess asked how one went about such a task.

"Do you mean you have never caught fireflies?" asked Pierre, incredulous. "I thought all children did."

"B-but we were n-never allowed outside after d-dark when we w-were children," Columbine explained. "At l-least, I never w-was. Aster, d-do you recall ever c-catching fireflies?"

Her older sister found this question so absurd that she forgot to be offended by the implied reference to her advanced years. "Of course, Columbine," she answered, "all children catch fireflies. Maman used to take us out at least once a week to do so during the summer."

"Well, I n-never have," repeated Columbine. "D-do you catch them in a j-jar, like other insects?"

"Oh yes, a jar with a piece of muslin over the top does very well," replied Pierre. "But make sure the jar is quite clear. Then you can take the jar inside, blow out the candles, and see by the glow of the fireflies."

"What a m-marvelous idea!" said Columbine enthusiastically.

After all had retired to their bedchambers that night, Columbine attempted to convince several of her sisters to join her on an adventure. Aster scorned the idea; Ivy clearly had no intention of walking about haphazardly in the dark; and Celandine never considered for a moment taking the risk of catching a chill from the night air. Eglantine was nowhere to be found, having disappeared shortly after dinner. In the end, only Marigold and Rose consented to accompany Columbine, both on the condition that they should not have to touch the nasty insects.

Columbine was disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm for her adventure. She even for a moment considered running over to the cottage to ask Alyssum to join her. Alyssum, the princess closest to Columbine in both age and disposition, would doubtless enjoy romping about the gardens after nightfall. But Columbine, though no master of dignity and grace, was possessed of enough common sense to know that such an activity would not be fitting for a lady in her seventh month of pregnancy.

So, resigned, Columbine led her two sisters out the back door, explaining to the guards on duty that they were only going to walk about the gardens and would not be out long and implying with as much subtleness as she could manage that it would be best not to mention this late-night walk to the king. King Claude had relaxed his strict rule over the activities of his daughters during the past two years, but it was unreasonable to expect any father to think approvingly of his daughters being out and about after dark. The guards nodded their understanding and the princesses proceeded onto the green sward of lawn that connected the northern perimeter of the palace with the vast gardens.

There were many fireflies to be seen flickering about, and Columbine instructed Rose to hold a jar at the ready. Then, remembering Pierre's instructions, she moved closer to one of the glinting lights, stretched out her hand, and carefully closed it about the hovering creature. Pleased by the ease of this capture, she carried the insect back to her sisters, delighting in the feel of tiny legs and wings fluttering against her palm. Marigold stepped back as Columbine reached to put the firefly in the jar. Rose had more courage and stood her ground. Columbine demanded a piece of the muslin and another of twine that Marigold was supposed to be carrying. After obtaining these supplies, Columbine took the jar from Rose and deftly tied the bit of cloth across the opening.

"Why is it that you can do that and are yet incapable of sewing a stitch?" asked Rose.

"I d-don't know," replied Columbine. "L-let's get more."

Columbine continued to catch fireflies, and it was not long before Marigold joined in, professing that it looked like fun, even if insects were perfectly hideous. Rose was content to look after the jars and muslin, and soon there were five glass jars filled with twinkling lights. Rose said that the firefly lamps were downright lovely, but that she didn't think Father would like it if they brought them into the palace. And the conservatory, where Columbine was permitted to keep her insects, was always locked after nightfall, and it was no use asking one of the guards to unlock it because ever since the whole matter of the dancing slippers it was impossible for anyone less than the king himself to get hold of a guarded key.

"N-no," said Columbine with a sigh. She puckered her brow, concentrating. "I w-want to keep them s-safe for the n-night so I can l-look at them more closely t-tomorrow. I'll h-have to put them in the s-stables."

"Do you think Eglantine would like that?" asked Marigold with some anxiety. "I mean, she doesn't like having your creatures about."

"P-pooh, she'll n-never know about it. I'll g-give them into the c-care of one of the b-boys and tell h-him to keep them out of s-sight. She d-doesn't run the s-stables, after all."

"Well, not in theory, but in fact I think she does," said Rose in a cautionary voice. "She is excellent with horses, you know, and spends most of the day in the stables. Besides, I don't think any of the stable boys would be willing to risk her anger."

"P-pooh," was Columbine's only reply to this. "Are you c-coming?"

Marigold and Rose looked at each other questioningly. Neither wanted to be implicated in the crime of trespassing upon Eglantine's domain, should she ever find out. But then again, neither wanted to be outdone by a younger sister.

"Very well, I'll go," said Marigold. "I don't think I've ever been in the stables. I suppose I would like to see them."

"I haven't been in them in a good long time," said Rose. "I can't stand all that dirt and muck. But I'll go, Columbine, if you promise not to do anything crazy."

Columbine looked surprised. "D-do I do crazy things? I d-didn't think I did."

"No, Columbine," giggled Marigold. "Only things like putting frogs in Eglantine's bed and talking to bears and collecting creatures that most people would prefer to exterminate."

But by this time Columbine was already walking off towards the stables. The other two princesses followed behind, wondering what they were getting themselves into. Walking quietly past the gardener's cottage, they crept around the side of the palace along the stone path that connected the gardens to the stables. Once they had approached the large wooden building, Columbine pulled open the side door, which was, due to the low rate of horse-thievery in Beloeil, unlocked. The princesses filed in, and Columbine looked about for a likely space to store her fireflies.

They were unnaturally quiet, perhaps afraid of waking the horses. Columbine tiptoed here and there and made her way down the long aisle of stalls. She heard a shuffling noise farther down, and curious, and made her way towards it.

It was then that misfortune struck. A horse came rushing out of a stall with a rider on its back and as Columbine realized that it was about to trample her she sidestepped and tripped, and the jars went flying in the air before smashing upon the ground and releasing their glimmering contents. The horse took fright, reared, and shied, throwing off the rider, who fell awkwardly almost on top of Columbine. Then the horse bolted, missing the two fallen figures by inches, thundering past the aghast Marigold and Rose, and running through the open door into the night air.

The unseated rider uttered a word that was not at all suited to Columbine's royal ears. As Columbine pulled herself into a sitting position, she saw that the prostrate person garbed in slightly baggy breeches and a loose tunic was none other than Princess Eglantine.

"Oh d-dear," sighed Columbine, knowing that she was done for. "I'm s-so sorry, Eglantine. Are y-you hurt?"

"Well, you don't think my arm is supposed to bend like this, do you?" snapped the enraged princess, who was breathing heavily and trying to push herself up with her good arm. Columbine took a closer look at Eglantine's right arm and saw that it was indeed bent at a wholly impossible angle. By now, Marigold and Rose had run over to the scene of the fallen, and Rose assisted Eglantine to her feet. Weakened by pain, Eglantine propped her shoulders against one of the stall doors. Marigold attempted to assist Columbine, who, after one unsteady moment on her feet, sunk to the floor again.

"M-my ankle," she said matter-of-factly. "It won't w-work."

"Oh, Columbine," said Marigold with a nervous shake of her head. "What have you done now?"

Within a few minutes of the commotion, three guards and the head gardener appeared on the scene. Michael took one look at the situation and took command.

"Can you walk?" he asked Eglantine. She nodded, her lips tight.

"What about you?" he asked Columbine.

"I d-don't think so."

"Her ankle's twisted," said Marigold helpfully.

"Maurice," Michael directed one of the guards, "Go and fetch Doctor Morret, if you please. Tell him his assistance is requested immediately. Jean-Claude, you go and request one of the maids to arrange the back parlor with whatever might be necessary for the princesses' comfort. And you, Gaston, fetch the horse. Rose and Marigold, lend Eglantine your support, but don't touch that arm."

Having thus disposed of all to his satisfaction, he picked up Columbine and began walking back towards the palace. The other ladies followed behind, Eglantine gritting her teeth and refusing to receive any more assistance from her sisters than was absolutely necessary. On their way past the cottage they were met by Alyssum, who tripped lightly down the garden path, glad in her nightgown, to meet them.

"Whatever has happened?" she queried. "Oh, Colly, whatever is the matter with you? And Tina, your arm is all crooked! Was there an accident?"

"Alyssum," said Michael, "would you please go back to the cottage? I'll tell you all about it in the morning."

Alyssum definitely looked as if she were going to protest.

"Oh do go, Alyssum, you'll only drive me mad with your chatter!" threw in Eglantine. Alyssum feared her sister's wrath much more than she did her husband's, so this settled the matter. Alyssum turned back with a sniff and said she hoped that her sisters would feel better directly.

By the time the doctor arrived, the entire household had been aroused, and quite a large number of people were assembled in the back parlor. King Claude hovered anxiously over his daughters as the injured arm and ankle were examined. The doctor pronounced that Eglantine's forearm was fractured and that Columbine's ankle was sprained.

"How long will it take to heal?" demanded Eglantine as her medical brother-in-law began to make preparations for a splint.

"You will have to have it bound up with a splint for six, perhaps eight weeks," said the doctor in with the calm smile that had endeared him to the royal family when he had first paid his addresses to Princess Lily. Eglantine did not find the smile at all endearing in this instance. She scowled at him and then let out a most shocking phrase as he began to lay out her arm upon the splint.

"Really, Eglantine!" expostulated her father.

"And w-what about my ankle?" asked Columbine. The doctor did not glance up from his work, but said,

"Oh, a week or so off your feet with plenty of good icing until the swelling goes down should do it. But you must not walk until it is strong again. And I think you would also be well-advised to keep off your feet, Princess Eglantine."

"Why? It's not my foot that's broken!"

"The more you rest, the quicker your arm will heal," said the doctor simply.

"You shall do just as you please, Eglantine," said Princess Lavender with a hard look at her sister, "and you shall reap the consequences without blaming anyone else."

"Oh, very well!" Eglantine spat out as she leaned back against the cushions, her face pale, with pain or rage or both.

The following week was a difficult one for the entire royal family. King Claude conceived the happy idea of setting the back parlor aside especially for the comfort of his injured daughters, and indeed they wanted for nothing. The palace was bursting with people desirous of waiting upon the princesses hand and foot. Unfortunately, Princess Eglantine was not a young lady very desirous of being waited upon hand and foot, and neither, if anybody gave the matter a thought, was Columbine. But nothing was such a trial to anyone as Eglantine's apparent inability to behave with any civility toward the sister who had, as she phrased it, "landed her in this mess." As the sisters were forced to spend their days in continual company, even Columbine's good humor began to fray.

"It's n-not that I don't feel v-very sorry for her," Princess Columbine explained to Lord Alain as he obligingly assisted her back to the parlor after luncheon. "B-but the way she p-pinches at one is enough to m-make one mad! It almost m-makes one wish that F-Father would b-beat her!"

Lord Alain was much struck by this display of growing good sense in his sister-in-law, and very nearly agreed with her aloud. But, being a wise man, he kept his opinion to himself.

By the sixth day of their forced companionship, Columbine had become irritated to the point of actually losing her temper. It was quite an event, perhaps more wondered at in the palace than the accident that had started it all. When it came to her ears, Princess Lavender remarked to her husband that the last time Columbine had lost her temper was when she was two and couldn't understand where her mother had gone. Certainly nobody in the palace could recall that Columbine, since learning to speak, had ever raised her voice in anger. Her voice had often been raised, it was true, but only because she had a tendency to loudness, not because she was ever roused to wrath.

It was late in the afternoon, and Pierre had come by to inform the princesses of some amusing thing that had happened at the finance council held earlier, in hopes of raising their spirits. Columbine indeed found it very amusing, but Eglantine was not in a humor to be amused. She snorted and made a remark not very complimentary as to Pierre's sense of what was funny.

For some reason, this set off the slowly boiling frustration and irritation that had been accumulating in Columbine's soul for the past week. Her cheeks became flushed, her grey eyes flashed, and she burst forth in what nearly amounted to a screech,

"Why c-can't you keep your b-big mouth shut! It s-seems to me that it w-would be enough for y-you to be m-miserable and unhappy f-for no reason at all, w-without having t-to spoil everyone else's f-fun t-too!"

Eglantine opened her mouth to reply, then shut it without saying anything. She stared at Columbine unblinkingly for a few moments, and then the corners of her lips twitched in spite of themselves. A smile appeared; and within a minute, she was laughing hysterically among her pillows and cushions.

Columbine leaned back and glowered at her sister. Pierre, muttering some unintelligible farewell, made good his escape, fearing that this hysterical laughter warned of rage to come.

It was not long before Columbine's wrath cooled, and as Eglantine finally stopped laughing, Columbine demanded to know what was so funny.

"You!" said Eglantine, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "Oh, heavens, Columbine, I never saw anyone look so demonic!"

This interested Columbine. "Did I really look demonic?" she inquired.

"Positively! Nobody could equal it!"

Columbine was rather pleased with her newfound accomplishment, although Eglantine assured her that it was highly unlikely she should ever achieve it again.

"It's as if you had been mustering all your anger toward me for the last twenty years, and you just let it out," Eglantine explained, "and it would take at least another twenty years before you could do it again."

"I don't understand why you're so cheerful all of a sudden," complained Columbine. "Does it make you happy when people are angry back at you."

"No, and if you were in the habit of yelling at me I should detest you for it," replied Eglantine frankly. "But it was so unexpected and out of character that I could only be amused. Columbine, you are not such an idiot as I thought you."

With this explanation Columbine had to be satisfied. She did not feel that she had gained any great insight into her sister's stormy character, but during the next few weeks she felt that Eglantine's personal animosity toward her decreased.

Lord Alain mentioned this apparent change in Eglantine to his wife one evening and asked her if she thought it a good sign.

"It certainly makes for more peace if she is to at least leave off her persecution of Columbine," said Lavender, "but it doesn't go to the root of things."

"The root of things?"

"Why she is so angry at the world and people in general. I don't think she has experienced anything worse than the rest of us. Why, she's never even been anywhere besides here! What can have happened to make her so bitter?"

"Maybe the fact that nothing has happened to her has made her bitter," offered Alain.

Lavender looked at him thoughtfully. "You mean she is unsatisfied with this kind of life."

"She hates restriction, you will admit."

"Yes." After some minutes Lavender smiled slowly and told her husband that she had an idea.

"We must get Eglantine out of the palace. Has Pierre made any effort to further Columbine's campaign for the zoological garden?"


	4. Ch3 Princess Eglantine Meets the Horse

Chapter Three: Princess Eglantine Meets the Horse of her Dreams

**Chapter Three: Princess Eglantine Meets the Horse of her Dreams**

At a word from his brother, Pierre Lefeyrac began to research just how much money it would cost to build and maintain a royal zoological garden. He was largely assisted in this task by an extremely enthusiastic Princess Columbine, who eagerly supplied estimates as to the number of animals to be housed, the size and type of accomadations for said animals, the amount of food to be consumed, and the number of staff necessary to care for the wild beasts. Although this project was of prime interest to Pierre, he knew better than to let it interfere with his more regular duties, and so it was nearly a month before he handed a neat, rather thick parcel of carefully drawn up papers to his brother. Alain reviewed the document with his wife before taking it to the king.

"Where on earth does Columbine think she's going to get a lion?" asked Alain. "Don't they live far beyond the borders of any kingdom we could name?"

"Oh, that's right here, in the section entitled 'Expected Purchases,'" said Lavender, pointing. "It says that the king of Paloma breeds lions and that we could buy one from him."

"I suppose the king of Paloma is so fabulously wealthy that he can engage in anything his fancy suggests to him. Now where does Pierre expect us to get this money from? Oh, here, it's in the back. 'Suggested Sources of funding.'"

" 'The Princess Columbine volunteers to buy only one new dress a year from now on, and will endeavor to convince her sisters to do likewise. Cutting wardrobe expenses in half will free up a total of –'"

"Good heavens, do we really spend that much on finery?" exclaimed Lavender.

"You should have seen the total when you were going through twelve pairs of dancing slippers per day," said her husband as he read further. "There are other suggested economies, but it appears that the main idea is to have the Beloeilan nobles contribute to the expense, including the donation of land for the garden and tenant labor."

"An excellent idea, if the nobles can be persuaded of the need for a zoological garden. I see that Pierre suggests a tract of land in Galmans as being the ideal situation. If Father approves the idea, a journey to Galmans to see the land will of course be necessary."

Alain glanced at his wife with raised eyebrows. "Galmans being the greatest horseman in the land, Eglantine would naturally wish to be a part of this journey. Are you sure that it was Pierre who suggested Galmans as the ideal situation?"

"Rather than doubting Pierre's integrity, I think you should go to my father at once with this plan!" said Lavender seriously, but there was laughter in her eyes.

The king, once assured of his son-in-law's full support of the zoological garden, saw no reason to object to it, and left the execution of the plan entirely to Alain and Pierre. Letters were sent to all the nobles of Beloeil, even to the stingy Lord and Lady Melfleur, brother and sister-in-law to the late queen, who had never been known to contribute a penny to any national cause in their lives. During the next few months, replies began to come in, and Columbine was elated to find that the majority of the nobles were ready and willing to give the zoological garden their full support.

"Only th-think!" she said to Eglantine, whom she had discovered in the stables without much searching. "It is all t-to happen, just as I h-had hoped!"

"Well, I suppose some people's dreams come true," said Eglantine as she vigorously unknotted a chestnut's mane. "I don't know why you should like all those horrid animals, but I wish you joy of them."

"And I d-don't know why you sh-should call animals horrid, when y-your precious h-horses are animals, after all!" returned Columbine.

"Horses are different," said Eglantine, and Columbine knew better than to argue with her.

"Anyway, I c-came out here to t-tell you the latest news," she went on. Eglantine, absorbed in the mane, appeared not to be listening, but Columbine continued, "The D-Duke of Galmans has offered a p-piece of his land, and P-Pierre must journey t-to go see it, and L-Lavender has said I m-might go to, if I am p-properly escorted. So w-would you like to c-come?"

"Galmans?" said Eglantine, stopping and turning around to face Columbine. "You're going to visit Galmans?"

"Y-yes, I just s-said so! W-will you come? M-Marigold says she will, b-but it would b-be best if you c-came too."

"Why?"

"B-because I d-don't think Lavender would c-consider Marigold the b-best escort."

"And she would consider me a good escort?" Eglantine snorted.

"Anybody would b-be a b-better escort than M-Marigold."

As Eglantine remembered Marigold's past dealings with a certain villainous prince, she had to acknowledge to herself that this was true. Marigold would be as likely as not to plunge the whole journey into disaster merely for the sake of a romantic adventure. Eglantine, though hardly known for her sense of propriety, at least had enough common sense to get a traveling party from one place to another. A sense of responsibility to her sisters glimmered for a moment in the back of her irascible heart, and she felt almost charitable to Columbine for such perception in preferring her escort to Marigold's. And then the though of the famed horses of Galmans drove any other consideration out of her mind and she consented to her sister's scheme without any further demur.

Packing ensued. Princess Eglantine stared at the open trunk in front of her. The maids had offered their assistance; Columbine had left everything to the capable Babette's hands, whereas Marigold had presided over her trunk, giving exact but frequently changing instructions to poor Lise as to gowns and scarves and hats. Eglantine had announced herself perfectly capable of packing her own clothes, and now she found that she had no idea how to go about it. She sent for her youngest sister, not caring for Alyssum's certain preoccupation with her new baby son.

Princess Alyssum Star-gazer had no notion how to pack either, but she knew why Eglantine had sent for her. Upon entering the bedchamber, she produced a package wrapped in brown paper and handed it to her sister with one hand while bouncing the baby with the other.

"I couldn't keep it a secret anymore, from Michael at least," she said as she perched on the edge of a chair and continued bouncing. "They say men never notice clothes, but he recognized the breeches you were wearing that day you broke your arm. And I can't continue to steal his clothes without him knowing. I don't think he minds much though. I explained to him that both Jean and Pierre were too tall and he said why couldn't you take the stable-boys' breeches, and I said that was silly because of course you wouldn't want to take breeches from a man who wasn't related to you, and he said it didn't make any sense to him but you were welcome to them as long as you didn't parade about the streets in them."

In response Eglantine merely snorted, and she carefully put the package into the trunk. Alyssum peered into it.

"I think you need more gowns," she said decidedly.

"I have enough."

"You have two. It is supposed to be a week's stay."

Eglantine ignored this and continued to stare at the trunk, which was barely full to a quarter of its capacity.

"What I need is a smaller trunk," she finally said with a great deal of decision in her voice. Alyssum found it hard to disagree with this conclusion. Fortunately for the sake of Eglantine's projected comfort and convenience at Galmans, Princess Ivy chose this minute to walk into the room. Taking in the situation at a glance, she promptly ransacked Eglantine's wardrobe and dressing table, and within a matter of minutes the trunk was three-quarters full and ready to be closed. Ivy turned a deaf ear to all Eglantine's angry protestations, and at the end of her tirade told her that if she wanted to appear a ragged wench in front of the finest horseman in the kingdom it was her affair.

"I don't care what anyone thinks of my appearance!"

"Obviously not, but others do. Think of the reflection on your sisters if you go about wearing the same gown three days in a row," said Ivy, fetching her sketchbook and making for the door.

"If you see Columbine, tell her I'll gladly participate in her scheme for reducing the royal clothing budget!" was Eglantine's parting shot.

Alyssum, having observed all this with interest, kissed her sister's flushed cheek, waved little Jacques' hand at her, and bade her a safe journey.

"Who names their child Jack-in-the-Pulpit? And what is she going to name the next boy? Skunk Cabbage?" Eglantine muttered aloud.

The traveling party rumbled off in their carriage at half past one. The four occupants of the coach started out merrily enough, but after two hours of confinement, Eglantine's mood worsened, and soon all of the travelers were heartily looking forward to their journey's end. It was a little past four when the carriage finally passed the gates of Galmans, and Eglantine's biting remarks were finally silenced as she looked out the window at the home of the finest horses in Beloeil (and thus, in the whole world!).

Galmans was indeed a fine property, resting on the lush grasslands of Beloeil as they stretched away from the northern tips of the Enchanted Forest. Some said the Faerie influence caused the grass to grown greener in Beloeil; it was certainly a beautiful and fruitful place. Many of the Duke's acres were devoted to agriculture, of course, but a fairly large part of the estate was also given over to grazing pasture for horses. The house was a large stone edifice, not as enormous as Beloeil's Palace, but certainly indicative of great wealth. As the carriage pulled into the front lane, Eglantine thought that it looked just as it ought; strong and sturdy, simple without being rustic, the home of a horseman.

Pierre hopped out of the carriage and helped the princesses down before he stretched his long limbs. Princess Marigold attempted to smooth the wrinkles out of her gown and push stray strands of hair out of her face, but neither Columbine nor Eglantine seemed to care much for their rumpled appearances. A stately butler greeted them at the door as a stable boy led away the carriage and horses. Within a very few minutes, they were being announced to the Duke in his front drawing-room.

"I am very pleased to welcome you to Galmans, Your Royal Highnesses," said the Duke, coming forward with a bow. "My home is graced by your presence. Monsieur Lefeyrac, you are also most welcome."

"Thank you, Your Grace," said Pierre with a neat bow in return. How fortunate that he had read up on the appropriate way to address noblemen of varying ranks before this journey! "Allow me to introduce Princess Eglantine, Princess Marigold, and Princess Columbine."

Each princess bowed in turn. As the others engaged in polite small talk, Eglantine occupied herself with sizing up the greatest horseman in Beloeil. She was not impressed, and somewhat disappointed. She had imagined a strong-looking hearty man of middle age with a booming voice and a slightly overpowering manner. This Duke was nothing of the sort. He was a slim, fair-haired man, not much taller than herself, with a cool and easy mode of speaking, and nothing booming about him. Eglantine wondered if she had been deceived.

"I suppose you would all wish to refresh yourselves in your bedchambers before anything else," the duke was saying. "My housekeeper will show you to your rooms, and then perhaps at five we could gather here before dinner."

"It doesn't take us over an hour to recover from a carriage ride," said Eglantine, offended by the suggestion that two hours in a carriage had tired her.

"Speak for yourself," said Marigold, who was inwardly lamenting over the crushed state of her gown.

"Perhaps," Eglantine went on, truly attempting to be polite while getting her way at the same time, "while my sisters are recuperating, you could give me a tour of the stables, Your Grace. I can be ready in a quarter of an hour."

"Very well, Princess," said the duke. A slight look of surprise came into his eyes, but his voice betrayed nothing more than courtesy. "Shall we meet here before going over?"

"That would be suitable."

"I c-can come too," said Columbine, not liking to be left out of any fun. Pierre instantly seconded her.

"Columbine, you look very tired. Go sleep for an hour. You wouldn't want to be out of sorts when we tour the land tomorrow. Pierre, you may come if you wish."

These stilted sentences amazed Eglantine's sisters, for they certainly were the most polite words they had heard her utter in many a year. Columbine didn't even think of protesting that she was not so very tired. As the housekeeper led them all down a wide hallway, Marigold and Columbine exchanged puzzled glances.

Fifteen minutes later Pierre met Eglantine as she came out of her room, wearing a long, loose, and rather ugly gown of a dull brown. The young man knew better than to make any comment on the princess's appearance, and he escorted her to the front drawing room in silence.

Galmans did not so much as raise an eyebrow at Eglantine's unusual garb, and he led them toward the stables without further ado. The princess cast an appraising eye over the neatly fenced paddocks before they entered the stable door. As soon as they had entered, she stopped, pulled the gown over her head in one swift motion, and bundled it up as she stood clad in breeches, boots, and blouse.

"I say, Princess, what – " was as far as Pierre got before Eglantine quelled him with an icy glare.

"I can't do anything of use in a stable wearing a gown, and so I wear breeches whenever I enter one. If you tell my father one word, I will have you running away from the palace within a day of it," she said quite clearly. Then she turned to see the duke's reaction.

He said nothing, but a corner of his mouth twitched as if trying not to smile. Eglantine was not pleased that he should be amused.

"I hope you do not mind my attire, Your Grace?" she asked, in tone that suggested that he had better not mind.

"You are of course free to wear whatever you wish at Galmans, Your Highness."

The inspection of the stables commenced, and Eglantine soon forgot her dignity as she inquired into the details of feeding, grooming, and exercise regimens. When introduced to a horse who was undergoing treatment for a strained hock, she had no scruple in entering the stall and standing beside the animal as a stable-boy applied a poultice. She even admitted that the poultice seemed to be more efficacious than those she was used to ordering at the royal stables. The harshness in her blazing blue eyes turned to something more gentle as she fired question after question at the duke and his servants. Pierre, not silent by nature, was rendered unusually quiet by this startling change in the princess's personality. Never had he seen her converse for more than five minutes without having her temper provoked!

The tour ended with a walk about the paddocks, where Eglantine was drawn to a particularly beautiful grey stallion, who frisked rather wildly about his enclosure.

"That is my latest purchase," said the duke, observing her interest. "He is very fresh, and not yet fully broken to bridle. He's tossed several of my best trainers, and even gave me a tumble not four days ago."

"He's amazing," breathed Eglantine, her face aglow. "What name does he go by?"

"We call him Stormcloud," said the duke with a smile, "when we're not calling him something else."

"How long do you think it will take to break him?"

"I couldn't say. One never knows how long it will take a wild steed to learn to control his spirits."

Eglantine continued to gaze upon Stormcloud until Pierre reminded them all that the dinner hour was approaching. As they departed for the house, Eglantine cast a lingering look behind her that did not escape the duke's notice.

David Beauforte, Duke of Galmans, awoke at daybreak the following morning, and after hastily dressing, made his way to the stables. It was his custom to rise early and take one of his horses for a sunrise ride, but on this particular morning, he was in more than a hurry as usual. It should be said that the duke was, in spite of his quiet and polite manner, by no means a man to be outwitted by a headstrong princess.

On entering the stables thus early, he found that he was indeed not the first arrival. Princess Eglantine, garbed in her manly raiment, was in the process of attempting to put a saddle upon Stormcloud's back.

She did not notice the duke at first, for she was fully occupied in managing to avoid being stepped on while holding the heavy saddle. Stormcloud, not at all pleased at having his rest interrupted, had no intention of standing still. Galmans quietly came up beside Eglantine and removed the saddle from her grasp. She started and turned as he hoisted the saddle over the edge of the stall.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded as he grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her outside of the stall, closing the gate behind him.

"I think it is I who should be asking that of you," he pointed out.

"It is none of your business!" she flashed at him.

"I have no wish to quarrel with you, Princess. I will merely say that this is my horse and my stables, and therefore I have every right to forbid you to ride that horse. Now, if you like, you may choose another horse and go for as long a ride as you please."

With that, he walked away and began to saddle up a bay gelding several stalls down. Eglantine, overwhelmed with fury, began to rant in a fashion that would have alarmed even her sisters. Her anger became even greater as the duke completely ignored her words, and at the end of five minutes she had completely exhausted herself and sat down upon a bale of hay to recover her breath. After he had finished saddling the bay, the duke asked her if she would like to ride Jewel, a feisty black mare whose acquaintance Eglantine had made the previous evening.

Eglantine stood, glared at him, and stomped out of the stables.


	5. Ch4 Princess Eglantine Apologizes

**Chapter Four: Princess Eglantine Actually Apologizes**

That afternoon the three princesses, Pierre, and the duke rode out to view the piece of land was hoped to be the future site of the Royal Zoological Garden. As neither Princess Marigold nor Princess Columbine had ever learned to ride, they rumbled along in an open carriage pulled by two beautiful chestnut horses while the others went on horseback. Eglantine had sullenly accepted the use of Jewel, but was pleased to discover that the black was at least something of a challenge to ride. Twenty minutes of expertly controlling the tricks of a high-spirited horse was just the thing to divert Eglantine's attention from feelings of mistreatment. She even condescended to talk with the duke, riding beside her on a splendid bay gelding, on such elevated subjects as shoeing, pasturing, and the proper method of oiling a saddle.

As the edge of the forest came closer into sight, the rolling land evened out onto a wide, flat expanse of land. A stream flowed out of the forest and wended its way northward, away from the riders.

"This is the spot I had in mind," said the duke, reigning in his horse and motioning the coachman to pull up. "There is quite a lot of open space, so it wouldn't be necessary to cut down any trees, and there is such a close water source. We would have to expand the road, of course, but that shouldn't be too difficult. My only concern would be for drainage in the rainy season."

As the duke and Pierre discussed drainage, Marigold and Columbine dismounted to walk about amongst the grass and flowers. Columbine was very well pleased with the spot, and her sisters could see the wheels turning in her head as she imagined where the various cages and exhibits could be located. Eglantine remained on horseback and moved a little apart from the rest of the group toward the shadows of the enchanted forest.

When she had left hearing distance of the others she loosened her grip on the reigns and gazed toward the trees as Jewel munched on the rich grass. The light breeze ruffled the few curls that had managed to escape from Eglantine's severe knot of hair. For a moment the fire died out of her eyes and she looked almost at peace; unfortunately, nobody was there to see it. Or was there? As she looked steadily toward the forest, she thought she saw the rustle of cloth and the swish of black between two trees. She blinked and looked again, but saw only the green leaves. Her brow wrinkled in thought.

At length it became apparent to the duke that his services were superfluous, as Princess Columbine and Monsieur Lefeyrac were absorbed in a highly technical conversation concerning the construction of the zoological garden, and the duke had very little knowledge of any animals other than horses. He turned his attention, therefore, to Princess Marigold, and offered her his arm. She was very happy to stroll amongst the flowers and chatter lightly of nothing at all, and eventually they made their way to where Eglantine stood staring at the forest.

"Eglantine, what do you look at so furiously?" queried Marigold, somewhat surprised by the intense look that her sister wore. Eglantine, jumped, startled, then laughed nervously.

"Oh nothing, merely I thought I saw something in the trees," she said, with an attempt at lightheartedness. Princess Eglantine, however, was quite incapable of sounding lighthearted, and this statement caused Marigold to frown.

"Saw what?"

"Something, I said, I don't know what!" said Eglantine, beginning to be irritated.

"Shall we walk along the stream?" suggested Galmans. Eglantine turned to glare at him, offended that he should attempt to avert her anger. He merely smiled and offered her his other arm. She opened her mouth to say something very rude, but remembered that during their previous encounter in the stables he had been quite impervious to her insults. What was the use? She took his arm, but absolutely refused to return the smile.

After a good long time spent in the fresh air and sunshine, the party returned to the house. All were in fairly good spirits and retired early to bed. Columbine and Marigold fell quickly asleep, exhausted after all their exercise, but not so Eglantine. No, the quick-tempered princess lay fully awake upon her bed for some two hours after retiring to it.

What had she seen upon the edge of the forest? Her brain tried to wrap itself around the fantastic idea that had been growing in it, but it was difficult to grasp. She had spent most of her life in discontent and frustration, but never had she felt so restless as this. That glimpse of something beyond was calling her, beckoning her away from this comfortable house and these pleasant people and her altogether enviable life as a princess of Beloeil. She had to find out what it was, where it was. Her common sense, seemingly the only thing that had ever kept her from running mad before, eventually left her. She leaped from her bed, hastily threw on her breeches and shirt, and headed stealthily out of the house.

Soon she was in the quiet stables, speaking soothing words to Stormcloud, who was apparently calmer at night. She fully knew that by sneaking off with the grey stallion she was breaking every code of a horseman's conduct, but it was as if a demon had a hold on her and she could no longer control her actions. Stormcloud consented to be saddled and bridled, looking at the young woman out of the dark pools of his eyes, as if he recognized in her a kindred spirit and knew she had no intention to curb his wildness. Together they walked nervously and noiselessly out to the mounting block. As soon as Eglantine had thrown herself up on the stallion's back, he bolted forward and headed toward the forest.

There were several fences in the path Stormcloud chose, but they were of no matter. The stallion sailed over them with ease and Eglantine did not lose a fraction of her balance. As they set off across the dark grass under the stars, she felt for the first time in her life fully free, and hoped with all her being that she would never have to go back. Together they flew by the light of the moon, the horse and the girl, as if in a dream. And it was really not very long before the drew near to the edge of the forest. Then Stormcloud finally ceased to galloped, and slowed at last to a walk, and Eglantine released a long breath.

She looked around her. The edges of the leaves seemed tinged with silver, and the air smelled old and new at the same time. She breathed it in deeply, and remembered the nights when she and her sisters had danced enchanted under the treetops. Yes, that enchantment had been broken, but the memories had remained, and they came back in full force. She dismounted from Stormcloud and released the reins, and the stallion wandered slowly between the trees. She did not care, she had no plan for returning. She heard an owl call out and the wind blowing softly, and slowly she began to dance again. It was not an elegant, polished sequence of steps, but a wild and free dance. Her hair fell loose and it whipped and sprang in the wind, and after several minutes the one whom she had been waiting for came.

"Eglantine." The voice was sweet and low and Eglantine stopped her dance to look upon the faerie. Was she enchanted? She did not know the state of her own mind, but she did know that voice.

"Betony!"

"Why are you here?" There was no reproach in Betony's voice, but there was sorrow and Eglantine actually felt a twinge of guilt. Why was she here, stupidly walking into the enchanted forest, leaving her family behind to worry? She looked into Betony's deep blue eyes, the eyes she had not seen for so long.

"I saw you and I had to come," said Eglantine childishly.

"You cannot stay," said Betony. "It is dangerous."

"You mean I'll become enchanted? I don't care, I'm no good in the world out there, I may as well leave it!"

"You don't know what you're speaking of, Eglantine. You don't know what it is to leave, and you could not endure it as I have, for you have nothing here. You must go back. You have a whole life to live there."

"I don't want that life!" she nearly screamed.

"Then you wouldn't want this one either. If you cannot be happy in your world, you will never find happiness here. I've been watching, sister, and I know that you have not let yourself be happy since Maman died. You are afraid to trust and afraid to love, because you were let down that one time. The others moved on, but you didn't. You chose to wallow in your disappointment and are now perpetually miserable. Everything in this forest is magnified, sister. The misery you have now would only increase into such a misery as you couldn't possibly bear. Go home, and be thankful your heart is not torn between two worlds."

"Betony, I can't...." But Betony was gone. Eglantine stood alone in the forest, and a chill ran down her spine. The strange feeling that had come over her as she stood in her sister's presence left, and now she only felt cold. Cold and... wet? It had indeed begun to drizzle. Her mind confused, she focused on her immediate problem. She had to go back, that was clear enough. If Betony, princess among the Faeries, had refused to let her stay, there was no place for her here. And she didn't want to stay, anyway, it had occurred to her that Faeries didn't ride horses and she never had liked trees all that much. Horses... where was that horse?

"Stormcloud!" she called out, but there was no sound of hooves. She thought of how angry the duke would be when he discovered that she had lost his very valuable stallion. She had no idea of how angry he could be, for he seemed a mild-tempered man, and certainly one very difficult to provoke. But she no longer thought him weak, and to lose such a horse as Stormcloud might put even the gentlest of men into a rage.

What was she to do? She wrapped her arms about herself as the drops of rain began to soak through to her skin, and tried to find her way out of the forest. It must have been Betony's will that got her back out of the forest, for she certainly had no idea of where she was. As she left the trees behind, she looked out over the plain and a spark of hope ignited in her chest. There was definitely something moving out there, and it could very well be a horse! She began to run toward the figure, ignoring the mud splashing under her boots and the way her wet hair slapped against her cheeks. The figure was moving toward her too, and soon she would catch up!

As they approached each other, Eglantine stopped running and stood aghast. Stormcloud it was, indeed, but not Stormcloud alone. There were two horses, and upon the other sat a man, holding his own mount's reins with one hand and Stormcloud's with the other. Eglantine's shoulders slumped as the duke of Galmans dismounted.

She dared not look at him as he walked up to her, and it was just as well, for his face was very grim. But neither could she see the relief in his eyes. He transferred both sets of reins to one hand and used the other to grab her shoulder.

"Are you well, Your Highness?" he asked in a very controlled voice. She nodded silently.

"I doubt Stormcloud will bear either of us at this point, so you will have to ride with me. Mount yourself."

She obeyed, mounting the duke's horse and then holding the reins as he got up behind her. It was torture to have to be so near to someone she had offended past even her limits, and she did not think that he was enjoying the experience either. She let him handle the reins, assisting only by keeping her seat so well that he was not required to support her at all. At a walking pace, it was a long way back to the house, and the silence between them made it even longer.

When they arrived at the stables, the duke hopped down and neatly lifted Eglantine down after him. He led Stormcloud and she led the other steed, and silently they unsaddled, unbridled, and rubbed down the horses. And after leaving the horses in their respective stalls they stood and looked at each other.

"You deserve to be beaten," said the duke at last.

"I know it," said the princess.

"I do think I should receive at least some explanation for your outrageous conduct. And if you mean to fly into a grand tantrum over it, I should let you know beforehand that I am not in the least frightened by you and never shall be."

"I won't fly into a grand tantrum! I- I am very sorry," she said, the last words sounding very strange upon her lips. "I knew it was wrong to take Stormcloud, and I did it anyway. He could have been lost in the woods forever, and it would have been my fault. If you want to beat me, I won't complain."

There was a long pause. Was he actually considering taking her up on the offer?

"Very well. You are forgiven. But I would still like to know why you did it."

His voice was stern, but it had lost some of its edge. She did not know why, but his words caused her to lose all restraint.

"Why? Because I saw a glimpse of freedom and I took my chances! You think that sounds strange, don't you? I don't wonder, nobody understands! All my sisters enjoy being a princess, they think it is some privilege, some thing to be thankful for. Well, I don't! I hate being expected to act a certain way and to have a guard follow me every time I want to ride out, and to have to borrow breeches from my brother in law and hide them from my father! Everything that I enjoy doing is something a princess of Beloeil is not supposed to do! And they wonder that I'm angry all the time. They'd be angry all the time too if their very existence was a constant inability to be who they are! They don't care and they don't understand, and I just wanted to get away from it all!"

She was out of breath and nearly crying. The duke continued to look at her steadily as she gradually recovered herself.

"I'm sorry," she said again, somewhat gruffly.

"I understand," he said, with a smile, "but don't do it again." Then he escorted her back into the house and bade her goodnight, As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that she hadn't found out how he had known she was gone. She would have to ask him tomorrow. She wondered if he would tell her sisters about her escapade? No, he wasn't the kind to bear tales. But what kind of man was he, really? He was unlike any man she had met before. So very strange... she fell asleep not angry at all and dreamed of a certain smile.


	6. Ch5 The Tale of a Cake

**Chapter Five: The Tale of a Cake**

Princess Eglantine was never quite the same after her ride on Stormcloud. She did not speak of the adventure to any of her sisters, and the duke did not mention the subject at all during the remainder of the royal presence at Galmans. The change that came over the hot-tempered princess was neither sudden nor immediately noticeable. But the more observant inhabitants of the royal palace gradually came to the realization during the next few weeks that Eglantine seemed preoccupied to the extent that she forgot to take offense.

"I wonder," said Princess Lavender to her husband one evening, "what has come over Eglantine."

"Is her current state the result you wished for when you devised her journey to Galmans?" inquired Alain, tearing his mind away from the problem of how to best deal with the poachers that had been caught crossing over the border with Gornibus.

"I don't know that I expected her to come back with her head in the clouds," said Lavender. "But it is not a change for the worse, and it is a change. Is she pining for a horse? Or is it something else? Jean, how old is the Duke of Galmans?"

"In his early thirties or thereabouts, I should say," he replied absently, wondering if a sharp reprimand would be enough for the poachers. He did not want to start a war...

"Has he any family?"

"A few sisters, I think, all married, but he's a bachelor himself." Maybe impounding their firearms and sending them back to Gornibus would be enough.

"Is he well-looking?"

"I don't know... Lavender, why on earth should you want to know that?" Alain's attention was finally fully transferred to his wife.

"It may be relevant to the problem I am trying to solve," explained Lavender patiently. "You see, if she's not in love with a horse, it must be the duke!"

"Galmans?"

"Whom else?"

"I have a hard time believing that Eglantine could be in love with anyone. She tends to hold all men in contempt," he said somewhat ruefully. "Only look at how she terrorizes poor Pierre."

"Pierre is afraid of her, as are most men," Lavender pointed out. "And she holds fear in contempt. Perhaps this duke is of a different cut. I wish I knew if her feelings were returned. Then I could have a better idea of what I should do."

"What, are you going to turn matchmaker, my love?" he eyed her warily.

"Dear Jean, what else have I to do while you are so adeptly running the kingdom? For now, I shall let the matter rest. Tell me about the Gornibus poachers and we shall figure out a solution."

Another who was much struck by Eglantine's changed demeanour was Princess Rose. Rose was the closest to Eglantine in age, and she was as much Eglantine's friend as any of her other sisters. They were quite opposite in temperament, Rose being as cheerful as Eglantine was irritable, and it was perhaps for this reason that they were able to get along. No bouts of temper had the power to ruffle Rose's calm satisfaction with the world around her; if Eglantine chose to send the princesses' bedchamber into chaos by throwing things in a tantrum, Rose was more than happy to clean up the mess. And as Eglantine was intelligent enough to realize that Rose's placidity arose from real indifference to her fits rather than from fear of retribution, she generally chose not to make Rose the object of her hostility.

Rose had come to a similar conclusion as Lavender without intending to make any schemes on Eglantine's behalf. She had heard much of the duke from Columbine and Marigold, both of whom talked of their trip for a month after it had taken place, and she gleaned from this information that Galmans might well be the object of Eglantine's thoughts. Rose had never been in love herself, but she had seen her sisters in love, and she knew that there did exist a remedy, if only a temporary one, to the apparent illness. She had discovered it when an ambassador from Paloma had brought a sampling of one of his kingdom's famed products on a diplomatic visit to Beloeil. And ever since, she had insisted that a small stock of it remain under lock and key in the royal kitchens.

Chocolate. Rose shivered in delight at the thought of it. Because it was such a rare commodity in Beloeil, she used it only in extreme cases. There had been the time that Laurel was mooning about the palace when Prince Morgan had left to spend some months in Eldyfa before their wedding. Rose had made it into a hot drink for Alyssum the time that Micheal was in jail for a day. And most recently, about a year ago when Lavender and Jean had actually had a fight (nobody else ever found out what it was about, and they had made up before the sun went down, but it had been quite a horrible day)! The time had clearly come for it to be used again, and this time Rose would do something quite excessive; she would bake a chocolate cake.

It was customary for Princess Rose to spend at least several hours of each day in the royal kitchens. It had taken some time for King Claude to reconcile himself to her pursuit of her favorite activity, but all in all she had had more success in getting her way than some of her other sisters. Cooking may not have been a conventional hobby for one of royal blood, but at least it was considered to be a womanly art; in this it was more acceptable to the king than Eglantine's interest in horse breeding or Marigold's dream of learning the art of swordsmanship (a dream which had yet to be fulfilled in any way, shape, or form). The head cook and her underlings had long ago accepted Princess Rose's presence as a matter of course, and, indeed, had come to respect her talent in the culinary arts. So as Rose carefully created her small chocolate cake that morning, the kitchen staff gave her all the space she required.

The result was marvelous. Rose glowed in appreciation of the perfectly formed cake that sat upon a glass dish. She had spared no extravagance; the cake was covered with a layer of sugary icing, also flavored with chocolate, and topped with Eglantine's favorite candied cherries. As the cake cooled, she imagined Eglantine's delight upon receiving it, and she sighed with bliss. However grand true love might be, Rose was sure it was nothing compared to the smell of chocolate.

That afternoon, Rose prepared to bring the cake to her sister, who she knew to be resting in the bedchamber. She placed it in a small crate used for vegetables and places a clean dishrag over the top. Watching her steps, she left the kitchens and made her way down the hall, looking down at the crate to make sure she did not tilt it.

Alas, her efforts were all to be in vain! For as she turned a corner in the corridor, she did not see a palace guard coming from the other direction. He was apparently distracted in mind as well, for within a moment they had collided, the crate had gone flying, and Princess Rose's masterpiece lay in fragments upon the tiled floor.

Rose was too shocked to make a noise. She stared at the ruin with an open mouth, her wide brown eyes grown even wider. The guard was all apologies.

"Princess, I am so sorry! I was not looking! Your poor cake..." his voice trailed off as he attempted fruitlessly to reassemble the cake. Rose's stupor began to leave her and she knelt down beside him, trying to think if anything could be done to revive her creation. It was indeed hopeless, as the guard soon recognized. He rested his hands on his knees and gazed despairingly at the crumbs.

"Do not blame yourself," Rose finally managed. "I was not looking where I was going either. And... it's only a cake, after all."

"I wouldn't say that, Your Highness," said the guard, smiling and shaking his head. "It seems to have been an extraordinarily special cake. It smells like heaven. It must have taken hours to make."

Rose looked at the guard with some scrutiny. Now, which one was he? He seemed to know her well enough, so he must have been at the palace some time. He was a strongly built man, not particularly tall, but broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. The square features of his face were offset by a pair of rather humorous blue eyes, and his hair, topped by a smart cap, was almost curly. Her eye alighted on the insignia pinned to his shoulder. It indicated that he was no ordinary guard. Of course, she remembered, this was Gaston Clementier; he had long been employed at the palace and had recently been promoted to Captain of the Palace Guard. She wished she paid more attention to these things!

"Yes, it did," she said, her cheerfulness recovered. "And I hate to throw it away, for chocolate is so very expensive. But it is quite ruined, don't you think?"

"In appearance, perhaps, but I doubt in flavor. This floor is very clean." His brow puckered in thought. "Could you not make it into something else? A chocolate... er, crumble, perhaps?"

Rose's eyes shone and she exclaimed, "The very thing! And it would be a crumble in more than name. I could fluff it all up very nicely with a fork, and top it with whipped cream! It will do famously. Thank you for your suggestion, Captain Clementier. Would you mind keeping watch over it while I go to fetch a bowl?"

The captain was naturally ready to acquiesce in the princess' wishes.

The chocolate crumble was a great success. Eglantine eyed it warily at first, but after the first bite she gobbled the rest down. Afterward, she was mellow for more than a week. Rose was pleased at the results of her efforts, and asked her father to send off for more chocolate from Paloma.

Eglantine was unaware, however, that the chocolate crumble had not been hers alone. Before retiring to his quarters in the barracks directly across from the palace grounds that evening, Captain Clementier was approached by a maid, who handed him a small covered dish.

"With thanks from Princess Rose, sir," said the maid, bobbing a curtsey before giggling and running off. The captain, in some curiosity, removed the cover and saw a small portion of chocolate crumble, elegantly topped with whipped cream and fine shreds of more chocolate. He smiled and hurried to his set of rooms, where he sat down and slowly savored every bite. For a person who had never in his life tasted chocolate, it was pure bliss.

Her mood having vastly improved, the next day found Princess Eglantine walking about the gardens with Princess Rose. Eglantine was generally not a proponant of sedate garden walks, but the chocolate crumble had made her grateful to Rose. And so when Rose asked if her sister would like to accompany her on a ramble to the gardener's cottage, Eglantine had reluctantly dragged herself away from the stables. However, Eglantine's change of temper did not suddenly render her a better walking companion. Rose's attempts at conversation yielded little fruit.

"Did you have a pleasant morning in the stables?"

"Yes."

"Anything extraordinary happen with any of the horses?"

"No."

Rose really could not think of any other topics which might prompt Eglantine to speak, so they walked in silence for some time. At last, Eglantine opened her mouth to speak.

"Rose, where did that heavenly chocolate come from?"

"They have it in Paloma," replied Rose, glad of a subject which she could speak on at length. "It's made from a plant grown there."

"Could we grow it here?"

"I think it requires a very warm climate, warmer than Beloeil. That's why it is so expensive, because it will only grow in Paloma."

"So much for that idea," muttered Eglantine. At her sister's puzzled look she explained, "You must know that I had devised a plan for the introduction of chocolate cultivation in Beloeil. I daresay it would have been even more popular than Columbine's Zoological Garden."

"It very likely would have," agreed Rose with a laugh.

"We must hit on another way of obtaining chocolate at less expense," mused Eglantine. "I suppose it must be an alliance. Rose, you are to marry the King of Paloma in return for a constant flow of reduced-price chocolate as long as you both shall live."

Rose laughed very heartily at this, but claimed she had no desire to live in Paloma.

"It's even further away than Eldyfa, and I can't imagine how it would be to almost never see my family, like poor Laurel. I'm afraid you shall have to be the sacrifice."

"No," said Eglantine, with a sudden darkening of her eyes. "I shouldn't like to leave Beleoil, either. And I must say, with all Father's silly rules of royalty, he's never even tried to marry any of us off to secure a political alliance, though I've no doubt offers have been made. But it shall have to be one of the others for Paloma; the best horses in the world are right here."

When they reached the cottage, they found Alyssum in the kitchen surrounded by pots, pans, and a plethora of produce, baking ingredients, and poultry. Melissa was playing with a litter of puppies in a corner, and the baby was sleeping in his basket.

"Good gracious, Alyssum, what madness has taken you?" gasped Eglantine, stunned by the havoc of the room. Alyssum jumped and turned, showing a splattered apron and a nose smudged with flour.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" she exclaimed. "I have got myself into such a muddle! Rose, please say you will help me cook this dinner? I told Michael to invite Captain Clementier to dine, and I resolved to cook a feast all on my own, and I thought truly that I could, but it is simply too much! The peas won't snap and the jelly won't gel, and that baby is going to wake up at any moment!"

"Why on earth didn't you fetch a servant to help you?" demanded Eglantine without sympathy as Rose began to poke about the kitchen, lifting lids and licking spoons.

"Because I wanted to do it myself," said Alyssum defiantly. "And if you're going to be mean and rude, Tina, you may as well leave right now, for I have no time to get into a quarrel with you!"

Eglantine managed with great effort to keep her mouth shut and went over to play with her niece. By the time baby Jack awoke, Alyssum was able to leave things in Rose's capable hands while she fed him. But she was not to be distracted long from her meal preparations. Depositing Jack in Eglantine's arms, she rejoined Rose and the two ladies stalwartly continued cooking.

At last, the preparations were completed. Alyssum untied her apron and flung herself into a chair. Her hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were red, but she had a look of satisfaction about her.

"You look positively wild, Alyssum," observed Eglantine. "You'd better fix your hair before Captain What's-his-name arrives. Not that I understand why a princess of Beloeil feels such a need to impress one of the guards."

"It's not a matter of impressing," said Alyssum, "I just wanted to do it right! Being a gardener's wife is more important to me now than being a princess, and most gardener's wives are able to throw a meal together for a guest without going into a panic. At least, Marthe always was able to. And what's more, Captain Clementier is not just one of the guards. Why, he's the same rank our brother Alain was before he became State Minister."

"We'll leave you to your dinner, Alyssum, it's all ready now and I'm sure your guest will be here any moment," said Rose, only a twinge of reluctance in her voice.

"Oh no, Rosie, do stay! I should feel so much more confident in serving the meal if you did! And besides, four's a much nicer number than three. Of course, Tina, you are welcome to stay as well," she added, eyeing Eglantine warily.

"No, thank you!" snorted Eglantine, handing the baby to his mother. "Rose, you'd better stay or Alyssum very likely will make a mull of it. I'm going back to the palace."

It was not long after Eglantine left that Michael appeared, Captain Clementier in tow. The head gardener of Beloeil did not seem very surprised at the presence of his sister-in-law, greeted her cordially, and soon all were having enjoying a hearty meal. As Alyssum prattled on to the guest of honor, Michael leaned over to Princess Rose and asked her in a low voice if her sister had been on the verge of making a muddle of it.

"Oh, it was not so bad as all that," replied Rose with a wide grin, "and yet, perhaps it was a good thing we stopped by when we did."

Alyssum, who possessed the remarkable talent of listening and speaking at the same time, managed to catch this exchange and abruptly ended her account of the time she and Columbine had sneaked into the guards' armory, saying, "You needn't laugh, Michael, for it wasn't at all amusing. Why, you should have seen the state of the kitchen! I know full well that without Rose's interference this meal would have been quite inedible, and that's why I asked her to help. Just wait until I bring out the cake she made!"

"I see I have two ladies to thank for the excellence of this meal," said the captain. "It's probably the best meal I've had in years."

"Oh, it's nothing," said Rose quickly, blushing slightly with embarrassment.

"Well, only nothing to some of the things you make," said Alyssum as she cut up a piece of meat for Melissa. "Do you remember, Michael, when you were first here, the cake she made for Celandine's birthday? It was divine, like something angels must eat!"  
"I remember the cake well, my love, but I didn't get to eat it," said Michael drily. "All I got to do was carry it for a short distance."

"So it was; I had forgotten. It was back in the days when Rose had to sneak about to do her cooking."

The captain looked startled. "But why should the princess have to sneak about to cook?"

"My father at the time did not think cooking a safe or noble occupation for a princess of Beloeil," explained Rose, without a trace of resentment in her voice. "He thought I might chop off a finger or burn my nose. So when I had the urge to bake a cake or roast a chicken, it was best that he should not know of it. I am so glad he was brought to change his mind. Perhaps cooking is not a very lofty activity, but I do so love it."

"I should think that cooking is among the highest of activities," said Captain Clementier, raising his glass of wine to his lips. "As someone who has spent much of his life suffering from poorly cooked meals, I view the ability to bake a cake or roast a chicken as the greatest of talents." With this he gave his plate to Alyssum for another serving of vegetables and gravy. Rose blushed again.

"You like the new captain of the guard," stated Princess Eglantine to Princess Rose on a crisp afternoon some weeks later. Rose was sitting on a bench in the stables, while Eglantine stood nearby, using one hand to wield the sandwich Rose had brought her and the other to untangle a horse's mane. Rose, who had been wondering if there were any way to make a stable thoroughly clean, started.

"What do you mean?" she exclaimed, blushing.

"Just that!" said Eglantine, waving the sandwich at Rose's red face. "All this blushing! Why, every time you encounter the man or even hear him spoken of, you turn all pink! And you seem to encounter him very often, from what I see and hear."

"What, have you been spying on me?" asked Rose, a prick of unaccustomed anger rising within her. She was startled by it and mentally squelched it.

"There is no need to spy. I hear one day from Marigold that you both met him while walking in the gardens and then all walked together for a time. And the last time I spoke with Alyssum, she let fall that the captain has dined with them nearly every week and that you always arrive on time to help her with the meal. And Aster -"

"Very well, I enjoy the man's company! I don't see why everyone needs to make such a fuss over it," said Rose, as her brow wrinkled in thought.

"What do you expect? What else do people have to talk of here, save Columbine's zoological garden and Lily's baby's first tooth? Do you wonder that I sneak out early in the morning for long country rides?"

"Well, I don't like to ride," replied Rose absentmindedly and strolled toward the stable entrance. "Enjoy the sandwich."

Her sister's words had given her food for thought, and she had to admit to herself that she had, in only a few short weeks, become quite fond of Captain Clementier. In fact, she enjoyed his company more than that of any other. And he seemed to enjoy her company, too. And she didn't think it was just being polite to a princess; after all, he didn't stop for long chats with Marigold or Aster or any of the others. No, he had singled her out for his attentions, and that idea pleased her tremendously.

A week later, Rose and Captain Clementier dined at the gardener's cottage once more. After a pleasant meal, the captain escorted Princess Rose back to the palace, as had become their custom. The captain was quieter than usual, as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know quite how to go about it. Rose, who had been observing him keenly ever since her realization of her feelings for him, noticed his discomfort and decided to take matters into her own hands.

"I enjoy our walks together very much," she said.

"As do I," he replied quickly, "It is nice to have someone to talk to whose head isn't filled with soldiering."

"But do you think you shall remain Captain of the Guard here for the rest of your career? Perhaps you aspire to a higher position, on active duty? My brother Alain says you could be a general if you put your mind to it."

He paused a moment before answering. "I once thought I would like such a position. But I think I am less of an ambitious man than I used to be. All I really aspire to these days is a quiet home with a warm meal at the end of each day."

"And perhaps someone to share it with?"

His brows shot up at that and he answered slowly, "Perhaps..."

"Well," said Rose, summoning up her courage, her shoulders tightening. "I know that my being a princess means I have to say this first. I should like to share that quiet home with you and I'd be more than willing to cook the warm meals."

It took him a few moments to process what she meant. But when the meaning was fully grasped, he smiled widely. "Truly?" he asked.

"Truly," she replied, blushing.

After marrying one daughter to a garden boy and another to a doctor, King Claude could have no objection to Rose wedding an esteemed member of the royal military. So they were wed a month later on the pavilion in the garden, and a house, not too large and not too small, and ideally located just a block from the palace, was purchased for them as a wedding present. Chocolate cake was served, and Princess Eglantine, the maid of honor, seriously began contemplating a very long ride to Paloma.


	7. Ch6 Princess Lavender Plans a Ball

Princess Eglantine entered the royal library quietly, hoping that nobody passing by in the hall would notice her entrance. To her aggravation, she found the library occupied by her sister Marigold, who was curled up in a large armchair with a book of verse. At the sound of the door Princess Marigold looked up, and it was clear from her expression that she was surprised to see her sister.

"Don't make your eyes all big like that, you look like a frightened deer," said Eglantine icily as she picked a random shelf and began to examine it.

"What are you doing here?" asked Marigold, ignoring the insult.

"Looking for a book. Why else would I be in a library?"

"I've never known you to want a book before."

"Well, I want one now." Eglantine apparently was having some difficulty in finding what she was looking for, as her eyes were narrowing in frustration at the shelf in front of her.

"Do you need help?" asked Marigold. Her sister, realizing that searching for one book in the midst of so many without any notion of library organization was likely to take a long time, decided to accept the offer of assistance.

"I need a book with a map showing the way from here to Paloma."

"Oh, an atlas! The geographical books are over here," said Marigold, jumping up from her chair and moving toward the opposite side of the room. "I don't go in much for geography, but we have quite a good collection, or so Laurel said." Skimming a shelf, she pulled out a large but not thick tome and laid it on a nearby table. Eglantine joined her as she opened the book.

"I looked at this once to find out where Eldyfa was in relation to here. It's an atlas of all the known kingdoms hereabouts," Marigold said, turning several pages. "Look, here's a map of all the kingdoms at once. We're here on the right side, and Paloma's that big one down to the southwest."

"How many miles away?" inquired Eglantine, somewhat impressed by her younger sister's geographical knowledge but unwilling to admit it. Eglantine had never been very partial to book learning, and hadn't set foot in the library for at least five years.

"There's a scale here," said Marigold, pointing to a chart in the corner. "It says how many miles to each inch. I'll need to get some paper; I can't do arithmetic in my head."

"Oh, I can figure it out," said Eglantine, using her fingers to count the inches between Beloeil and Paloma. Figuring proper amounts of horse feed and hay had given the princess a quick head for numbers, even though she had never paid much attention to mathematics during her well-paid education. "It's about three hundred and fifty miles. So to ride there would take -"

"Are you going to ride to Paloma?!" cried Marigold incredulously, her eyes popping.

"No! I mean, of course not! Why would you think-" Eglantine suddenly realized her stupidity in engaging her sister's help. Why, Marigold would blab the whole thing and there was no way she could have her adventure if King Claude knew of it!

"You are! I'm not stupid, you know. But you must be, if you think you can ride off all the way to Paloma with nobody knowing of it." Marigold saw the dangerous gleam in her sister's eyes and hastily added, "Not that it's a bad idea. I'm sure it would be a great adventure and I'd do the same if I thought it were at all practical. But think, Papa would have the entire cavalry out searching for you on every road as soon as he heard you were gone!"

"He wouldn't know what direction to send them if nobody told him where I was headed," Eglantine said with gritted teeth.

"He'd send them in every direction. There are only four roads out of Beloeil, you know, and I doubt it would take long to find you."

"I won't use the road."

"Then you'd get lost."

"Since when did you become the voice of reason?" asked Eglantine, exasperated that her hazy-headed sister was offering so many objections.

"I may not be as practical as some, but I do know about having adventures," said Marigold, her nose only very slightly in the air. "I've read extensively on the subject and have come to the conclusion that a royal princess cannot have a successful journey of escape without an escort."

Eglantine snorted but inwardly admitted that her plan was extremely unpractical. Not that she had ever really thought she could pull it off. Headstrong she might be, but her experience of stealing the Duke of Galmans' horse had taught her not to be entirely foolhardy. She would have to find something else to occupy her mind.

When Princess Lavender proposed to her husband that they should hold a ball, his response was a chuckle. When he realized that she was serious, his amusement turned quickly to shock.

"But we never give balls," Alain protested. He was sitting at his desk and Lavender was perched on the edge of it. "When was the last time Beloeil held a ball?"

"My parents' marriage," responded Lavender. "Over thirty years ago. Which is why it is time we held another."

"Why now? There's nothing special to celebrate, is there?"

"Does there have to be? Most kingdoms throw balls quite frequently, on the slimmest of pretexts."

"That's why most kingdoms are in debt."

"Now, Jean, can't we afford to hold one little ball?" asked Lavender in a tone that was so close to cajoling that her husband blinked.

"Yes, but I still don't see why-"

"It is quite necessary, I assure you."

Alain leaned back in his chair and waited.

"It won't be a huge ball. We won't ask any foreigners, just the nobles of the kingdom. It would be excellent politically, for there are many nobles whom you, and even I, have not met yet. You recall how eagerly the nobles responded to the idea of Columbine's zoological garden? That indicates to me that the nobles could be of greater assistance in furthering the welfare of Beloeil if only given the opportunity. I think a ball would be the perfect opportunity to enhance the partnership between the royal house and the nobility, do not you?"

"Hmmm," said Alain, contemplating. After a minute, during which Lavender gazed intently upon his countenance, he said "You make an excellent case, love. But for some reason, I think you have another reason."

"It's Eglantine," supplied his wife candidly, "I'm sick of her mooning about and a ball is a pretext to get the Duke of Galmans here so I can do some matchmaking."

"That's it, is it? Very well, then, I suppose we'll have to have a ball. I leave the arrangements entirely in your hands."

The royal household was somewhat divided in their reaction to the forthcoming ball. Lavender had begun to make arrangements and had no reserve about enlisting her family's help in all the details. Princess Ivy and Princess Marigold were eager to help; the former because she found great delight in drawing out a plan for the decoration of the ballroom, the latter because a ball must always be considered a romantic sort of thing. Princess Aster professed to find it all a great bore, but showed no hesitation in giving her decided opinion on every aspect of preparation. King Claude, pleased as anything to see his grand ballroom once again in use, made a number of impractical suggestions that his eldest daughter tactfully amended. Princess Rose happily agreed to sally forth from her home to spend hours each day overseeing the concoction of various treats, and Alyssum was only too happy to join her husband in flower arrangements so long as someone could be found to look after her small children. It fell to Eglantine, Celandine, and Columbine to watch said children when they were not involved in their own pastimes. Eglantine naturally detested anything related to balls and Celandine professed herself too weak to throw herself enthusiastically into any sort of exertion. Princess Columbine was not unwilling to help, but her tendency to leave a trail of smashed china combined with her inability to arrange anything artistically made her presence in the palace not only unnecessary but, as Princess Aster scathingly remarked, hazardous.

The guests began to arrive several days before the ball, some coming from quite a distance. Pierre Lefeyrac, who had been given an afternoon of rest as a reward for tirelessly processing the piles of extra bills, was escorting Princess Eglantine, Princess Columbine, and a party of children around the menagerie. Celandine had been somewhat helpful in watching the young Star-gazers, but today Princess Lily's bouncing son was also a member of the party and Celandine had decided that three children were simply too much for her nerves.

"I d-do hope Celandine l-learns to overcome her f-fear of swarms of children," remarked Columbine, who was balancing a very wiggly baby Jack on one hip. "L-like as not, in f-five years or so there shall b-be at least a d-dozen hereabouts."

"I don't think she's afraid of them, I think she just likes an excuse to get out of being helpful," said Eglantine, unkindly but truthfully. She held Melissa's hand firmly as that damsel attempted a bolt for the bear enclosure and continued, "The sooner this zoological garden of yours is finished, the better, I think. This menagerie would be quite a danger with dozens of royal offspring cavorting about."

"Oh, I don't think the animals would hurt anyone," protested Pierre, who was carrying the rather placid Master Hubert Morret on his shoulders. "They're all quite tame, you know."

"I was thinking more about the children hurting the animals," returned Eglantine. "If Alyssum and Michael mean to carry on their production of energetic children indefinitely, I'd say that every living thing on the palace grounds is in danger."

"Oh, s-so you noticed, t-too," exclaimed Columbine.

"Noticed what?" asked Pierre. "I say, Princess Columbine, would you like to trade babies?" This was added as Jack gave a precarious squirm that nearly resulted in his downfall.

"Y-yes, that would b-be splendid," said Columbine, exchanging one boy for the other. Master Hubert obligingly wrapped his arms about her neck while Master Jack immediately attempted to pull out Pierre's slight beard. "W-we were speaking of h-how Alyssum is expecting."

"Again," supplied Eglantine. "She has that glow."

"Oh," said Pierre, not sure if this was one of those delicate subjects which men were not supposed to be interested in.

"Look!" demanded Melissa, pointing toward the road. The menagerie was located against the palace's outer perimeter and offered a view of the road through narrow openings in the black iron fencing. The girl had sighted two fine horses making their way toward the front gate. It was not possible to make out the identities of the riders, but Melissa was so excited by the idea of visitors, her mother and aunts having explained the concept of a ball to her, that she immediately demanded the pleasure of going to greet the guests.

When they arrived on the front lawn of the palace, near to the gate, the walking party was just in time to see one of the riders, accompanied by a stable boy, leading the horses away to the stables. The remaining rider was about to ascend the steps to the front door, but paused as the walkers turned the corner.

"Why, I do believe it's the Duke of Galmans!" said Pierre, stepping forward to meet him.

"The Duke of Galmans," Melissa repeated to herself, committing it to memory. "Come, An' Tina, it's the Duke of Galmans." With this she dragged Princess Eglantine forward.

The Duke had already greeted Pierre and Columbine, and Eglantine found herself able to drop a very slight curtsy and say, "You are welcome, Duke. May I introduce my niece, Mademoiselle Melissa Stargazer?"

"Your servant, Mademoiselle," said the Duke, his eyes swiftly moving from Eglantine's face to the girl at her side. He bowed. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Welcome to Woyal Palace of Beloeil," said Melissa grandly as she executed a low if somewhat wobbly curtsy.

Eglantine found dinner a trifle awkward. It was really so infuriating that the man's presence should make her so on edge. Why, she actually found herself looking in the mirror before going down to dinner, as if she cared what he thought of her appearance! The desire for another's good opinion was a feeling very foreign to her, and its sudden existence was most unwelcome to her. She didn't know what to make of it, so she hardened herself to discomfort and hoped that none of her family could see the muddle she was in. Princess Lavender had very deliberately placed Eglantine opposite the Duke at the dinner table (though Eglantine could not know it) and was thus forced to speak to him. She was inexplicably terrified as she took her seat, but needlessly so. The Duke very easily turned the conversation to horses, and that was the one topic on which Eglantine was capable of conversing with perfect confidence.

Early the next morning, Eglantine slipped into Michael's old breeches and made her way out to the stables, as was her custom. She was grooming her favorite gelding, a very tall chestnut, when she was surprised by the appearance of the Duke of Galmans.

"I hope you don't mind my intrusion, Your Highness," he said politely, "but being a horsewoman, you will understand that I like to care for my horse myself."

"Naturally," Eglantine replied with as careless a tone as she could muster. "You may consider the stable boys completely at your command."

They worked in companionable silence for some time and then, as the duke was clearly nearing the end of his horse's grooming, Eglantine gathered up her courage and asked if he would like a tour of the outlying country. The rest of the morning was spent in riding, and when the two returned late for the midday meal, both somewhat flushed from the exercise, Lavender darted a very speaking glance at her husband.

Amidst the background noise of swishing silk and soft giggles, Princess Eglantine sat straight-backed in front of a dressing-table, frowning upon her reflection in the mirror. She had been sitting thus for at least ten minutes, clearly not satisfied with one of the twelve most beautiful faces in Beloeil.

"Eglantine, should you not be dressing?" asked Marigold, noticing her sister's immobility. "Have you not at least picked out a gown?"

"She's probably going to wear breeches, and is waiting for a pair of Michael's to arrive," sniggered Aster. Upon receiving no response from her sister, she moved closer and peered closely at Eglantine's face. "Are you well?"

"She does look pale," whispered Celandine.

"I don't know what to wear," said Eglantine finally in a flat voice.

"Do you mean you actually care what you wear?" asked Marigold in a tone of astonishment.

"Perhaps I do."

"Ivy, quick!" exclaimed Marigold, dragging her most artistic sister away from her personal hair-dressing. "We must find a gown for Eglantine!"

Ivy could not be immune to such a plea and soon the two ladies were knee-deep in Eglantine's wardrobe, tossing unsuitable garments right and left as they searched for the hidden treasure.

"You can't have had a new gown made in years!"

"This one has a tear in it!"

"How can you allow your garments to smell so strongly of horse?"

At last, with nearly the entire content of the wardrobe dumped upon the floor, Ivy reverently pulled out a silk gown of deep amber over a cream underskirt. As she held it up to Eglantine's countenance, her sisters saw immediately that it was the very thing to set off her sun-bronzed complexion and chestnut locks.

"Put it on, put it on!" squealed Marigold, clapping her hands.

"I haven't seen that gown in years," commented Aster. "Why have you been hiding it?"

"I haven't worn it since we danced in the Forest," said Eglantine as she pulled the gown over her head, reluctantly. She had not worn the gown because it represented something to her that had since seemed unattainable. Freedom? She did not know for certain what it was, only that putting on this gown was some form of hoping for something different.

A quarter of an hour later the princesses emerged from their bedchamber in all their finery and swished their way to the ballroom.


	8. Ch7 From the Ballroom to the Stables

**Chapter Seven: From the Ballroom to the Stables**

Every noble in the land had come to the ball, even the odious Lord and Lady Melfleur, who were avoided by their nieces with skill and dexterity throughout the evening. Despite all her efforts, Princess Columbine was at one point trapped into conversation with her ladyship and made subject to a long lecture concerning the need to change her hoydenish ways as well as a tirade against the use and wisdom of zoological gardens. She was mercifully saved from another fifteen minutes of these criticisms by the thoughtfulness of Pierre, who after enjoying a dance with his sister-in-law, strode to Columbine's side as quickly as possible and engaged her for the next dance. Lady Melfleur was given no opportunity to educate her niece on the unsuitability of accountants as dance partners, as Pierre had adeptly whisked Columbine away before that lady could open her mouth. Columbine thanked Pierre sincerely, and Pierre, though he had been quite willing to put up with having his feet stepped upon, was pleasantly surprised to discover that Columbine was an excellent dancer in spite of all her general clumsiness.

Princess Lavender, returning to her husband's side, looked upon the pair with an indulgent eye. Alain, who had just escaped from a lengthy encounter with Lord Melfleur's views on foreign policy, followed his wife's gaze and shook his head.

"They get on like brother and sister," he said. "I don't think my brother even realizes how well Columbine is looking tonight. They are likely discussing animals or calculating the ratio of men to women in the room."

"But they wouldn't discuss such things with anyone else," said Lavender serenely. "It is why they are so well suited."

"Couldn't, you mean, nobody else would have the slightest interest."

"As I still have well over three years in which to win my wager, I will not panic," said Lavender. "I am more concerned about Eglantine at this moment. I count she has already danced with the Duke of Galmans twice, and besides him she has only danced with you and Pierre. Not being very discreet about her preference, but one doesn't expect discretion in Eglantine. He, on the other hand, has had the good manners to ask several other ladies to dance, although he has only asked Eglantine twice."

"And from all this, what do you conclude?" asked Alain, amused.

"That he has a decided preference for her company but is not desirous of proclaiming it to the world. Which is wise on his part. Not knowing Eglantine quite as well as we do, he cannot be sure of her, what with her moody ways."

Princess Eglantine, not being used to caring for anyone's good opinion, was certainly experiencing an uncomfortable evening and felt a strong inclination to indulge her moody ways. She had not a great enough imagination to find her two dances with the Duke precisely exhilarating, for he was not at all a great dancer, but she had greatly enjoyed his company and conversation. Then she had been subject to pangs of jealousy as he danced with other females, including three of her own sisters. She knew herself to be looking well, but all the other women looked well too. Even, she grudgingly admitted to herself, her aunt Lady Melfleur, who was suddenly descending upon her with a benign smile.

The dangers of indulging in reflection during a ball were rudely discovered by the princess, who had not time to make her escape before Lady Melfleur was at her side and giving her opinion of the situation.

"My dear Eglantine," said that woman in a sweet tone that instantly put Eglantine on her guard.

"Your Ladyship," acknowledged the princess with polite frostiness.

"I wish to congratulate you on what I consider to be a sign of growing wisdom that has served to revise my opinion of you," began her ladyship. "I had not much hope for you, what with Lavender practically condoning your ramshackle ways and your violent temper ever since you were a child, but I begin to see that you are not lost to all sense of what is due to your great station."

"I have no idea of what you are speaking, Aunt," said Eglantine, overcome with a desire to behave in a very ramshackle and violent fashion.

"I mean your choice of husband of course," laughed the lady, "The Duke of Galmans is not, of course, a royal, but with twelve daughters, my brother-in-law could scarcely have married you all off to royals. Though," she added with a slight frown, "I do think he should be trying a little harder to do so. But the Duke is one of the wealthiest nobles in the land, and he should do very well for you. I am pleased with your cleverness in making your attentions known so soon. You have certainly secured him, for he will feel obliged to offer for you. And why should he not? You are a princess, and it is an even greater match for him than for you. Ah, I am so pleased, my dear niece! With your sisters making disgraces of themselves marrying soldiers and doctors! And the garden boy, most repulsive of all! It is so pleasant to see a sense of duty in at least one of the princesses!"

Eglantine, who had been listening to this speech in silent horror, was now forced to react. She could not even begin to grasp the new idea presented to her, that the Duke might offer to her out of duty, or even out of mercenary motivations. She seized upon the only aspect of this monologue that did not require her to think deeply.

"I don't know of what you are speaking!" she repeated, face red. "And I think Michael and Lord Alain and Captain Clementier, and Doctor Morret are all a great deal pleasanter than you, and would still be if they had been raised in pig-sties!"

Knowing she had been unforgiveably rude, Eglantine turned on her heel and made her escape. Walking quickly toward the nearest door, she managed to keep her dignity until she was in the hallway. Then she ran for the stables.

All the stable boys still awake were in the stable "annex", a separate building that was used to house the steeds of guests on occasions such as these. She was alone except for the horses, most of whom were gently dozing. She paced back and forth across the wooden floorboards, pulling pins out of her hair and casting them wildly from her. Then she paused to collect them all and put them carefully in an empty jar in the tack room. It would not do for one of the horses to swallow one.

Exhausted, she sat down on a bale of hay. Her aunt's words tormented her. The freedom she had felt in the Duke's company had all been imagined. If he did wish to marry her, it would of course be for her royal blood or her substantial dowry. His kindness to her could have no other explanation. She was beautiful, she knew, but so were all her other sisters and they were better mannered and much more suited to a wifely career. Her only advantage lay in her already established preference for him, a preference that was apparently far more obvious than she had realized.

Well, she would not be married off as if she were a brood mare, that was for certain. She'd rather be imprisoned within the palace walls for the rest of her life.

Her musings were abruptly interrupted by the sound of footsteps upon the threshold. She looked up to find the Duke of Galmans looking interestedly at her.

"Do you often run away from balls to seek refuge in the stables?" he inquired. "I must confess that the idea of doing so has occurred to me more than once, but this is the first time I have seen somebody actually do it."

"I don't know what you're doing here!" Eglantine snapped. "And I wish you would leave me alone!"

"I was following you, of course," replied the Duke, completely unfazed by her harshness. "What did Lady Melfleur say to put you in such a passion?"

The thought that he had been watching her so closely pleased her, but she pushed the pleasure out of her mind and told him that he should learn to mind his own business.

"It is very much my business if what she said to you prevents me from dancing with you again."

"Well, you can dance with somebody else, can you not?" replied Eglantine, adding with a shameful degree of petulance, "You've been dancing with plenty of other ladies already."

"At a ball one is obliged to dance with plenty of ladies," the Duke reasoned, "even if he only wishes to dance with one of them."

This remark put the princess in a most inconvenient situation. She naturally felt gratified that the Duke should only wish to dance with her, but her aunt's words had made her suspicious of his attentions. This pretty phrase might just be an attempt to win her hand and fortune rather than an honest compliment. She decided to try a disdainful attitude and said coldly, "I don't know what you mean. Do go away."

The Duke sighed and leaned back against a post with his arms crossed. "Clearly, you mean to give me no encouragement," he said. "And since I have no desire to enter into an argument with you, I shall not attempt to explain what I mean. I will go directly to the point. Will you marry me?"

"How dare you! No, of course I will not!" responded Eglantine, quite taken aback by the abrupt proposal. Her heart was beating rapidly, but she would not be taken for a fool.

"I suppose we shall have to argue after all," he said. "Why not?"

" I do not wish to be married for my wealth and position," stated the princess with remarkable self-possession. "I had much rather die a spinster."

"I suppose you might well," agreed the Duke. "But I do not wish to marry you for your wealth and position, and I'm rather offended that you should think such a thing of me."

"Well, it fits, doesn't it? Why else should you wish to marry me?"

"Because I love you, of course," replied the Duke, almost casually. "And I think we would get on quite well together.

Eglantine's heart was now pounding, but her contrary nature still had the better of her. "It's just words," she said. "You could be lying!"

"If I wanted to marry for wealth and position," said the Duke, straightening and walking towards her, "I certainly would have chosen one of your less mule-headed sisters to lie to. But you are correct, it is just words, and now is clearly the time for action."

Before Eglantine had time to realize what was happening, she had been pulled rather roughly into the Duke's arms. She could not think of any retort to make, which was just as well, as the fact of the Duke's kissing her would have prevented speech in any case.

"Now, _will_ you marry me, you ridiculous girl?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes. She was silent for several moments, looking back into his, before she answered meekly, "Yes."

Princess Lavender thought her ball an enormous success in more ways than one. Her husband congratulated her on a political triumph; many important issues of national interest had been discussed and resolved over the supper table. Lady Melfleur, although stung by Eglantine's offensiveness, yet mustered enough graciousness to compliment Lavender on the tasteful decorations and fine food. But her finest triumph was the announcement of Princess Eglantine's engagement to the Duke of Galmans. The eldest princess felt that she had accomplished an impossible task, and went to bed that night (or rather, early the next morning) with a rewarding feeling of satisfaction.


	9. Ch8 The Prince Policy

**Chapter Eight: The Prince Policy**

"One from Elise and one from Mother," Alain informed his wife as he sorted through a pile of letters recently placed on his desk by a footman. "I don't know whether to be pleased or frightened."

"What a pessimistic outlook you have, dearest," replied Lavender, looking up from the draft of a trade agreement with Paloma which she was intently perusing. "It could just be coincidence that they wrote at the same time."

"No, I am fully justified," said Alain as he finished the first paragraph of his mother's letter. "Mother's first news is to warn me that we shall soon expect a visit from Elise. No doubt Elise writes to tell me precisely why she is condescending to visit us."

"Really Jean, the way you talk one would think Elise is another Lady Melfleur! And it is not at all the case, your sister is very kind and not at all condescending."

"Not at all condescending? Do you remember the way she came storming up here as soon as she heard of our engagement to see if you were good enough to marry me?"

"Well, she didn't think anybody was good enough for her wonderful, handsome, intelligent brother, and I can't say that I blamed her for it," said Lavender with a warm smile. "I think I was much more nervous about being accepted by your family than you were about being accepted by mine."

"Precisely, because Elise is more obnoxious than all eleven of your sisters put together. In her letter, of which there are six pages written upon on both sides in a very small hand, she offers me reams of advice on everything from the boundary dispute with Gornibus to the proper way to pickle mushrooms. Why she should imagine I would need to know how to pickle mushrooms is quite beyond my understanding. She concludes by stating she had better come to visit and see how I am doing."

"I'll give the pickling advice to Rose," said Lavender absently, having returned to her reading. Her husband eyed her with a mixture of affection and awe.

"You are a fearless woman, my love," he stated emphatically.

Elise Alain was a confirmed spinster of some forty years of age, the eldest of Jean Alain's numerous siblings. Her chief mission in life was to oversee the affairs of her mother, siblings, nieces, nephews, and any other persons who could claim a connection, however tenuous, with the Alain family. Her advice and interference were always well-meant, often helpful, and only occasionally disastrous, but this did not prevent her family and friends from a slight feeling of doom whenever they were in her presence. She had ultimately viewed her brother's marriage to the eldest princess of the realm as a good thing, not because of the increase of importance it gave to her own family, but because it greatly widened the scope for her talents, connecting her to another large family as well as to political matters previously out of her sphere of influence. The royal family approached her with a mixture of feelings. Some welcomed her advice, some resented it, and King Claude did everything to avoid her short of hiding behind the furniture when she visited.

It was about a week later when Mademoiselle Alain descended upon the palace, her youngest sister in tow. Madame Dejolras had been happy to accompany her sister, partly out of a sincere desire to visit the royal family, partly out of a wish to see how her husband would cope when left to mind three children, and partly out of a sense of duty. Her mother had confided to her a concern that Elise was just a bit outspoken and had asked Suzanne to do what she could to keep her sister in check. Suzanne had never attempted to check Elise in her life, but she agreed in her cheerful way to do what she could.

The reunion of the siblings was a happy one. Alain, in spite of his prediction that he would have no peace until Elise had left the palace once again, was naturally happy to see his sisters, and Pierre was overjoyed to receive a visit from Suzanne, who was the sibling closest to him in age and temperament. The arrival was ushered in with hugs and kisses and exclamations, and everyone went to bed that evening in high spirits.

The next morning saw Pierre and Columbine giving Suzanne a tour of the menagerie. Construction on the zoological garden was underway, but it would still be some time before animals could be moved to their new home. The menagerie had been expanded to allow for some temporary guests, creatures who had been donated ahead of schedule. A female bear that had been caught bothering gardens on the northern border of the Forest was the newest addition to the collection and Princess Columbine had been spending many hours every day in making the bear feel at home.

"I am so much looking forward to taking the children to the zoological garden," said Suzanne when shown the bear. "I suppose it is a great deal of work, Princess."

"Y-yes, it occupies m-most of my time these d-days, but P-Pierre has been a g-great help," replied Columbine, swinging over a low fence so she could reach her hand through the bars to pet the bear. A slight frown appeared on Pierre's normally smiling countenance.

"I say, Columbine, I don't think you should do that. That bear could bite your hand off if she wanted to," he said warningly.

"Why P-Pierre, you know I p-play with Hugo all the t-time!" exclaimed Columbine in surprise.

"Hugo was born here and is a completely tame bear," Pierre pointed out. "This bear has been living wild her whole life, and I should think it would take more than a few weeks for her to become domesticated."

"Oh p-pooh, you're no f-fun," said Columbine, but she came back over the fence just the same.

Suzanne noted this exchange with interest. Perhaps her carefree little brother was growing into his mustache. However, she did hope that he would not grow to be quite so domineering as Elise.

Elise was at this moment making a nuisance of herself in her brother's office. Not one to stroll idly about the gardens when there was any kind of work to be done, she had rather forcefully volunteered to help Alain sort the royal mail. Feeling that this was a task she could accomplish with fairly little damage to the state of the nation, Alain assented and drew up an extra chair to his desk. Princess Lavender was already engaged in writing answers and the three had worked together rather well for an hour when Elise handed a fresh pile to her brother.

"These all appear to be from royal males requesting the hands of one or other of the princesses in marriage, be it for themselves or for their sons," she said. "Do you often get such correspondence?"

"Oh yes," replied Alain, taking the pile and handing it to his wife. "Here you are, Lavender, the standard reply should be in that drawer beneath you to the left."

"Standard reply?" queried Elise as Lavender drew out a sheet of paper from the drawer and gathered paper and ink for copying. "Do you mean you always send exactly the same answer to these proposals?"

"Yes, something along the lines of 'We are honored by your request but the King makes it his policy not to arrange political marriages for his daughters,'" replied Alain, hoping to assuage his sister's curiosity.

"So you refuse all offers out of hand?" Elise persisted. Receiving two affirmative nods, she sniffed. "Seems a bit high-handed, if you ask me."

"My father thinks Beloeil is well as it is and sees no reason to use political marriages to increase his wealth or power," explained Lavender patiently.

"That's a very fine sentiment, to be sure, but what if one of your sisters was to like one of these princes?" asked Elise. She grabbed one letter and waved it in the air. "Now this one, for instance, claims a prior acquaintance with your sister Marigold, professes an interest in her quite apart from political machinations, and merely asks to be allowed to visit her at the palace. What is the harm in letting the man see the girl?"

"That particular letter," said Alain, only slightly gritting his teeth. "is from a man we all know to be of bad character. We have received numerous requests from him, but he is persistent."

"Bad character? Is it really fair to judge a man for the rest of his life, Jean? Here he expresses regret for his past behavior and wishes to be given another chance!"

"We have no trust in his word, Elise; I do not think you understand the matter."

"Well, how about this one? From the King of Paloma, asking to visit with his young son, who has heard of the beauty and charm of the princesses and wishes to meet them. It is not a demand for a wedding, but a simple desire that the young people shall become acquainted!"

"Elise, it really is not your business…"

"Are you afraid that your sisters might have their heads turned by all this royal splendor and make bad decisions? Ridiculous! I think they are all quite capable of judging for themselves and you do them an injustice to reject their suitors out of hand," Elise continued.

"Elise, I beg you will keep your opinion…"

"She has a point, Jean," interposed Princess Lavender. Both brother and sister stopped their argument and turned to stare at her.

"I know our policy on princes was constructed with the best of intentions, but perhaps it is a little extreme," said Lavender thoughtfully. "After all, there is nothing wrong with marrying a prince, just as there is nothing wrong with marrying a garden boy. Why should we not relax our policy somewhat and allow at least for princes to visit the palace to meet the girls? I don't see any harm in that."

"Not Prince Loc," said Alain adamantly.

"No, of course not, Marigold is far too romantic for us to expect her to act sensibly in such a situation," agreed Lavender.

The new Prince Policy was announced to the royal family at dinner that evening, after having been approved by the King. It had been long since King Claude had been active in any policy decisions and as he trusted his son-in-law's judgment completely, he saw nothing wrong with princes being allowed to visit.

"Only I do hope we don't have to endure another Prince Egbert," he said with a shudder, "or Prince Loc. How troublesome they were! Really, I don't know why girls should wish to marry princes, I can't think of many whom I've liked."

Alain reminded the king that not only was Princess Laurel's husband a very amiable prince, King Claude had once been a prince himself.

"Yes, you have a point there; I am so glad my wife wished to marry me!"

Alyssum and her ever-growing family had come up to the palace to dine, and all were surprised at her fierce and negative response to the news.

"How horrid!" she exclaimed as she passed baby Daffodil to be admired by Suzanne. "Why should we want a pack of princes here in Beloeil? The last ones we had here were not nice at all. Remember what that nasty Prince Loc did to Michael? As far as I'm concerned, I'd be happy never to see a prince again!"

"You forget Prince Morgan, my love," said Michael, amused.

"No, I do not, for I do not count him as a prince at all," said Alyssum, "he only came here by accident and his being a prince has nothing to do with our liking him so much."

"But Alyssum, surely just as we turned out to like Morgan, we may turn out to like other princes," reasoned Lavender. "Just because you met two that you didn't like doesn't mean they are all horrible."

"We've done very well without princes so far," said Alyssum obstinately.

"You are just prejudiced because you married a garden-boy," said Aster. "We can't all expect to have such luck. No offense meant, Michael," she added, for over the years she had quite reconciled herself to having a garden-boy as a brother.

"None taken."

"So are you going to invite them all at once?" inquired Pierre. "It would be an awful lot of guests."

"No, we will only respond to those letters requesting to visit, and those only one at a time," replied Alain. "We wouldn't want to have the young men dueling over the princesses in the garden."

"We have decided to invite the King of Paloma and his son first, since it would be good to meet with the king concerning the trade agreement in any case," said Lavender.

"If one of us m-marries the Prince of P-Paloma, will we g-get free chocolate?" asked Columbine, her brow wrinkling in thought. "And I w-want to buy a l-lion from P-Paloma."

"Do you mean to say you would marry the prince to get some chocolate and a lion?" exclaimed Aster. Pierre, who normally did not get along with Princes Aster, for once found himself in complete accord with her sentiments.

"N-no, Aster, I was thinking you c-could," replied Columbine cheerfully. "After all, y-you are thirty-two, and I th-think you should h-have first choice."

Aster, highly offended by this reference to her age, chose not to answer. Lavender laughed.

"As I believe the Prince of Paloma to be barely twenty years of age, he is far more suitable a match for you than for Aster, Columbine," she said. "But please don't be so mercenary in your thoughts. We will include something about chocolate and lions in the trade agreement, and it need have nothing to do with marriage."

"I never knew that princes were writing asking for our hands in marriage," said Marigold, a not quite pleased tone in her voice. "Why have you never told us of this before?"

"We did not wish to trouble you," replied Lavender. "But Elise has most rightly pointed out that you are all of an age to think for yourselves and so we have decided to give these poor princes half a chance. Those who seem suitable, of course," she added.

"But how can you know if a prince is suitable if you have never met him?" asked Marigold innocently. "Or what if a prince gave a bad first impression when he was really quite suitable after all? Shouldn't we be able to judge for ourselves?"

Lavender's answer was noncommittal and she was fortunately spared further discussion by Elise, who launched upon her own lengthy views as to detecting suitability in prospective marriage partners.

Later that evening Lavender professed to her husband some worries that Marigold was still pining for Prince Loc.

"And I could sympathize if I could see a shred of merit in his character," she said as she unpinned her braids. "But there is none! His only virtue was his good looks, and I cannot bear to think that one of my sisters should be so shallow."

"Perhaps she saw something in him that we could not," suggested Alain. "And his letters profess to a reformed character. Perhaps he was, er, going through a youthful phase when we met him and has grown out of it." Lavender responded only with a pointed glare from her gray eyes.

"In any case, the Prince of Paloma sounds harmless enough," said Alain, changing the subject. "I really can't imagine a youth of twenty being very troublesome to any of your sisters."


	10. Ch9 Prince Ferdinand's Conspiracy

**Chapter Nine: Prince Ferdinand's Conspiracy**

The only person who looked forward to the visit of Paloma's royalty with any degree of enthusiasm was Princess Columbine. In her eyes, anybody who raised lions for a hobby must be worthy of friendship, and although she had no idea of marriage for herself, she could not help but see the advantages that a connection with a zoologically inclined family must bring. The day of the expected arrival saw her, as usual, occupied with her animals. Princess Aster kept her company, for, as she had so kindly put it to Columbine, she had nothing better to do. She sat upon a bench and conversed with her younger sister as amiably as she could while that dark-haired damsel examined the current sizes of the bears' cages and planned their future residence.

"I d-do hope the Prince of P-Paloma or his f-father will be able t-to tell me how l-large an enclosure a l-lion requires," remarked Columbine.

"Do you ever think of anything besides animals?" asked Aster in some exasperation.

"Y-yes," responded Columbine. "I h-had a very interesting c-conversation with Pierre about c-carriages the other day."

"Carriages? Whatever for?"

"We were d-discussing why some k-kinds go faster than others. It all h-has to do with ph-physics."

Aster eyed her sister with something bordering on respect. "Really, Columbine, you do have such a scientific mind. I don't understand it at all."

"Y-yes, you do. It's the s-same as what you d-do with people in that j-journal of yours, except I d-do it with animals and c-carriages."

"What can you mean? And how do you know what I write in my journal?" asked Aster suspiciously.

"W-we all know you write d-down your observations of p-people. Why, r-remember when you r-read aloud to us that b-bit about Prince Egbert and h-how we all laughed? Y-you observe people. I observe n-nature. It's the s-same thing, just that I c-can't write l-like you can."

Princess Aster, who was indeed a keen if not always kind observer of human nature, was both surprised and gratified by Columbine's insight. She was about to reply that perhaps Columbine should attempt to write some short descriptions of animal behavior when their conversation was interrupted by Pierre.

It testified to Pierre's growing maturity that he did not flinch in the slightest when he discovered that Columbine was in the company of the princess he most feared. Being possessed of an open and easy character, he found Aster's sarcasm and criticism both confusing and tiring. He avoided her as much as he could, but her presence now did not deter him.

"King Antonio and Prince Ferdinand have arrived," he announced, bowing to the princesses before perching on a fence rail. "I thought you'd want to know."

"There you go, Columbine, now you can make your alliance with the lion-keepers," said Aster with a laugh. Pierre frowned.

"D-did you see them, P-Pierre?"

"Yes, I met them. They are sitting with your father now."

"W-well, what are they l-like?"

Pierre shrugged. "They seemed nice enough."

"What an enthralling description," commented Aster. "Are you sent here to fetch us?"

"Yes, I suppose so," replied Pierre, wondering just how impolite it was to glare at a princess. "King Claude wishes them to meet everyone."

"Well, l-let us go, then," said Columbine, leading the way. As they made their way to the palace, Aster noted Pierre's continuing frown.

"Don't be too downcast, Pierre," she whispered close to his ear so that Columbine could not hear. "As far as we know, his only virtue is lion possession, and Columbine really isn't mercenary."

They were soon to discover that the Prince had more than one virtue. Upon being presented, both Columbine and Aster arose from their curtseys to perceive that both Prince Ferdinand and King Antonio were extremely handsome men. Neither princess had ever met a Paloman before, and so their temporary state of dumbfoundedness could be excused. Both men were tall and lean with tanned skin, black hair worn tied back, and eyes of a shade between amber and brown. The prince was obviously very young, but he certainly was no longer a child. More surprising was the King; both princesses had been expecting a man at least the age of King Claude, but this man could not be much above forty. Both Columbine and Aster recovered themselves as the Prince began to speak.

"We are so very pleased to meet you, are we not, Father?" he began, and not waiting for his father to reply, he went on. "So you are Princess Columbine, the one who is interested in our lions? We are so interested in your plans for a zoological garden. I look forward to discussing the matter with you, for we are thinking of having just such a thing of our own in Paloma. And you are Princess Aster. Do you also take interest in biology, Your Highness?"

"Of the human variety," responded Aster, taking a seat. King Antonio raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Anatomy?" pursued the Prince.

"No, she l-likes to watch people and write f-funny things about them," explained Columbine kindly.

"Oh, a satirist," said Prince Ferdinand, not at all put out. "How very interesting. I would so enjoy to see some of your writing."

"I'm so sorry," replied Aster sweetly, "but I do not share my writing."

Ferdinand was undaunted. "You know, I think you have something there. I believe writing should at some level be a private matter, don't you agree, Father?"

"I suppose it would depend on rather one writes to entertain himself or to entertain others," replied King Antonio, uttering his first complete sentence since arriving.

"You begin with the presupposition that one writes to entertain at all," said Aster. "One can write for a greater purpose than entertainment."

"One can, but does one?"

"Well, my dear," interrupted King Claude, who was too aware of his daughter's capacity to utter highly offensive remarks couched in witty banter, "I must say we all found that little story you wrote for the children very entertaining, very entertaining indeed. King Antonio, Prince Ferdinand, should you like to rest before dinner?"

Neither man was at all fatigued, and so while King Antonio went off with Alain to discuss the trade agreement, Prince Ferdinand asked Columbine if she might show him the menagerie.

"P-Pierre should come too, f-for he has been w-working on the z-zoological garden quite as h-hard as I have, and I am sure he c-can answer many of your questions."

Aster observed with amusement the conflict that appeared in Pierre's expression. He was clearly torn between a desire to remove himself as far as possible from the Prince's radiating presence and an even stronger desire not to leave Princess Columbine alone with the clearly dangerous stranger. She wondered if the Assistant Secretary of Finance was finally on the point of making an important self-discovery.

Pierre agreed to go, and the three set off for the menagerie.

Pierre was soon highly irritated by finding that he liked the Prince of Paloma. He was, in fact, impossible not to like. Although Pierre harbored suspicions that Ferdinand was attempting to win Columbine's favor, there was really nothing in his manner to give this impression. He spoke equally to both princess and secretary, was able to converse on a variety of interesting topics, and nothing he said or did could be interpreted as flirtatious. All in all, he was a very good fellow whom Pierre would under any other circumstances be happy to call a friend. The three young people chatted amicably for over two hours as Ferdinand was introduced to the menagerie's occupants. When Pierre noted that it was nearly time for dinner, he was a bit startled when the Prince abruptly changed the subject.

"Princess Aster is a rather clever sort, isn't she?" he remarked. "And she's rather older than you, is she not, Your Highness?"

"Well, y-yes," replied Columbine. "She is t-tremendously clever. And she's th-thirty-two."

"I wonder if she'll do…" murmured the Prince, seeming to be pondering something rather important.

"I say, she's rather old for you!" protested Pierre. Boldly, he added, "In fact, I should think any of the princesses would be too old for you."

"I m-must say, I d-don't think Aster would b-be at all interested in y-you," Columbine agreed seriously. Prince Ferdinand laughed.

"I see my father must have written something about me wanting to find a wife," he said, smiling. "I never said so, but I must confess I implied something of the sort. You see, it was the only way I could get him to come. I daresay he will be mad as fire if he ever found out the trick I played on him, but it's all for his own good."

"I am not sure we understand what you mean," said Pierre, who was indeed rather confused.

"Oh, I'm not here to find a wife for myself, but a wife for Father," explained the Prince cheerfully. "It's meant to be a secret, but I feel sure I can trust you both to keep it quiet."

"B-but why should y-your father need a w-wife? What about y-your mother?" queried Columbine. She wondered if Paloma, exotic as it was rumored to be, allowed bigamy.

"Oh, my mother died ages ago, I barely remember her," said Ferdinand. "And I think it is high time Father married again. He doesn't say it, but I think he's very lonely. If he wasn't such a cynical fellow, I daresay he could find himself a wife, but he's had more than twelve years to do it, so it's clearly time I gave him a push."

This information instantly lightened Pierre's heart and naturally intrigued Columbine, who had never played matchmaker before but clearly saw that Aster would be just the right person for the job of Queen of Paloma.

"She's very p-prickly, though," she warned Ferdinand. "If she w-were to suspect your p-plot, the game would b-be up."

"Oh, I know I have to be careful, for my father is the same way," said the Prince reassuringly, but then he sighed. "The thing is, I managed to get him here, but now I'm not really sure about how to take care of the rest. I can't make him fall in love with anybody."

"We c-could help," suggested Columbine. Pierre looked rather alarmed but couldn't think of any good argument against her, so he held his tongue.

"Of course I don't know Princess Aster very well yet, so it is most important that I spend some time with her myself, as well as giving Father opportunities to get to know her," the Prince went on. "I want my father's happiness above all things, especially since I do not think his marriage to my mother was very congenial to either of them. But this makes things even more difficult, since it has given him a rather low opinion of women."

"That will certainly make things more difficult," agreed Pierre, who thought Princess Aster the least likely person he knew to tolerate low opinions of women.

Princess Aster was rather startled after dinner that evening when Prince Ferdinand chose to sit beside her on the small sofa in a rather dark corner of the parlor. This was her particular dark corner, where she sat nearly every evening, and everybody in her family knew it. Why Ferdinand must choose her above all her family to engage in conversation was not at all apparent. If he was looking for a wife, surely Columbine, Celandine, Marigold, or even Ivy would be closer to him in age and in tastes. If he was merely looking for pleasant conversation, had she not made it obvious that lighthearted chatter was not her strength? She at once attempted to give him a set down, but he was quite impervious, and evidently determined to insinuate himself with her using his overly engaging manners. Drat the boy! On and on his conversation went, and before she knew it she was actually responding.

"Have you traveled much, Princess Aster?"

"No, hardly at all. Only once outside of Beloeil, to visit my sister in Eldyfa."

"Really, I am surprised that such a keen observer of human nature as yourself should not desire to wider her scope by visiting other places," said the Prince.

"It is not so much from lack of desire as from lack of opportunity," said Aster. "My father is not a traveling man, and you must know how impossible it is for a woman alone to go junketing about the world."

"Your Highness, I assure that my views on women are most liberal," said the Prince enthusiastically. "I think you should go junketing about the world if you like. If it is improper, why, take a companion with you! Surely at least one of your sister should like to travel, and with all the grooms and coachmen and maids that princesses require, you would scarcely be alone. I am sure we should enjoy seeing you in Paloma."

Princess Aster began to like the boy against her will. But she only replied drily, "You should not go about issuing invitations without your parents' consent."

"Oh, my mother has been dead for years," said Ferdinand, pleased for this opening to introduce the fact of his father's availability. "I assure you, my father would be most pleased to have a guest, he does suffer from a lack of intelligent conversation."

"How would you categorize your own conversation?" asked Aster. The Prince smiled broadly.

"Edifying, but not quite as _profound_ as my father should like," he replied. "I am afraid that in spite of a very thorough education I have not turned out to be as deep of a thinker as Father had intended. I suspect he finds me to be a rather frippery fellow. But I am sure that you think a great many deep thoughts; it is quite evident that not only have you read all those dull philosophers, you have actually tried to figure out what the deuce they were talking about."

This was quite true, so Aster could not deny it. Yet she could not discover any reason as to why this boy should be so determined to flatter her intellectual tendencies, any more than she could figure out why he wanted her to visit Paloma. She changed the subject and asked him whether he engaged in any sporting pursuits. By the end of the evening, Prince Ferdinand was beginning to plot his next move.

The unsuspecting King of Paloma was interrupted while shaving the following morning when his exuberant son burst into the room and made himself comfortable in a chair. King Antonio eyed his son warily, knowing from experience that such morning visits generally involved an explanation of some Brilliant Idea. Hoping that he would not have to expend too much energy in dissuading the Prince from some hairbrained scheme, he sighed and asked what was on his son's mind.

"I should like to ask Princess Aster to visit us in Paloma," said Ferdinand, getting right to the point. He knew from experience that he should present the main idea first, and offer roundabout explanations after. The King had no tolerance for guessing games.

"Princess Aster?" King Antonio raised an eyebrow and turned away from the shaving mirror to look critically at his son. "Have you already taken a fancy to her? I don't understand why there is need for such haste."

"Oh no, Father, I am not thinking like that at all," protested Ferdinand with a laugh. "Why, she's far too old for me."

"Is she?" inquired the King, who had assessed the princess to be a decade younger than she really was.

"Thirty-two," said the Prince, "Much nearer to your own age than mine. I just like her, that's all, and I think she would like to travel more. I thought we could give her the opportunity. And," he added in a careless fashion, "perhaps Princess Columbine could accompany her and see the lions."

King Antonio cast another appraising look at his son, and a slight crease appeared between his dark eyebrows.

"Very well, if you should wish it," he replied after a moment. "I can see no objection."

"Oh, good. And I do think you should be the one to issue the invitation, it being your kingdom." And with that the Prince was gone, leaving King Antonio to believe that the invitation to Princess Aster was a blind to conceal Ferdinand's real interest in Princess Columbine, which was not at all the case.

When the invitation was issued to Aster, she likewise was led into the trap. Upon King Antonio's asking if she and her sister Columbine should like to make a visit to Paloma, she looked at him shrewdly and asked if his son had put him up to it.

"Yes," he said, slightly surprised. "And how did you know?"

"He spent all last evening trying to convince me that I needed to travel more," Aster replied. "And I do not find you to be at all the sort of person who would spontaneously invite single women to visit you."

"But then, you don't know me very well, do you?" asked the King. "For all you know, spontaneously inviting single women to visit me might be my favorite hobby."

"Along with breeding lions," agreed Aster, managing not to smile. "If I may be so bold to suggest it, I think it likely that Columbine is the real object of this scheme; I am, after all, far too old to be the object of your son's gallantry."

"Yes, thirty-two is rather old, isn't it?" assented the King. "I hope you take very good care of your health. I myself have an excellent doctor in attendance, should you wish to consult him during your visit."

Princess Aster could not help but laugh. The two royals being in agreement that Ferdinand should not be denied the opportunity to get to know Princess Columbine better, it was decided that, with King Claude's consent, the two princesses would accompany the Paloman guests on their return journey.

Pierre Lefeyrac had a headache. Like Columbine, he had laughed heartily at Prince Ferdinand's description of the way in which he had thoroughly duped his father. But further reflection had given him pause. What did he know of this prince, anyway? He was obviously a great schemer. Suppose this tale of finding a wife for King Antonio was all a ruse to gain Columbine's trust and interest? Whatever the motive, Columbine was going off to stay several weeks with the handsome and charming prince in Paloma, and this Pierre could not like. For one thing, Columbine was bound to get in trouble without him there to keep an eye on her. She was more than likely to try to pet one of those confounded lions, trusting as she was. Yes, that was her problem altogether. She was so trusting she would never see through Prince Ferdinand's scheming ways. Not that he was at all jealous of the Prince; no, he had a brother's affection and a brother's desire to protect. Surely King Claude or Alain or even Princess Lavender should see the danger! But no, they all seemed perfectly happy to give their consent and Pierre had nothing to say in the matter.

The morning of their departure, Columbine bade a cheery farewell to Pierre.

"I d-do wish you were c-coming, too," she said. "It w-would be ever so m-much fun. B-but I know you have w-work to do. I will t-tell you all about the l-lions when I get b-back."

"Columbine," said Pierre sternly, "If you dare try to pet one of those lions…"

"I won't, I p-promise." She hugged him impulsively, and then they were off.


	11. Ch10 Traveling Princesses

**Chapter Ten: Traveling Princesses**

When the princesses returned to Beloeil nearly a month later, their family was astonished to find that it was Princess Aster and not Princess Columbine who had most enjoyed herself. The elder princess had nearly undergone a transformation. She was lively and talkative as she had never been before, full of interesting stories and observations from her sojourn in Paloma. Columbine's happiness, on the other hand, was due more to her relief at being home than the joys of travel.

"I d-don't mean to s-say that it wasn't very n-nice," she explained to Pierre as they guided the two elder Star-gazer children through the menagerie. "The l-lions were quite m-magnificent! And I d-discovered several animals I had n-never even heard of. B-but it was such a long t-time to be away from h-home."

"It seems that Princess Aster had a good time," remarked Pierre, pushing his deep gratification to the back of his mind. "Do you think Prince Ferdinand's plan succeeded?"

"I c-cannot tell you," replied Columbine, her brow creasing as she pondered this deeply. "I c-could see that she and the k-king liked each other v-very much. B-but neither of them w-were at all lover-like. F-Ferdinand still thinks it shall c-come about, but I d-daresay it shall all c-come to nothing."

To all appearance, Columbine's observations were quite correct. Princess Lavender indeed was initially of the opinion that Aster's unusually sunny mood must be due to her having fallen in love with King Antonio. But she gave up the idea after a week of watching Aster very closely. Aster spoke of the king highly, even warmly, and certainly unhesitatingly. Lavender was sure that if a deeper attachment than friendship had existed, Aster would have been much more guarded in her praise. And so Lavender put the Paloman royals out of her mind.

Everyone would have been surprised had they seen Aster, one sunny afternoon, sitting on a patch of lawn with her back against the far wall of the garden that served to shut out the Enchanted Forest. In one hand she held a letter and with the other she absently tugged on one of her light brown curls. Her countenance was grave as she spoke quietly in the direction of the trees.

"Well, Betony, I must discuss this with someone, and you were the only one I ever confided in," she began. "I did have the most lovely time in Paloma. That dratted boy was quite right in suggesting I should enjoy traveling. I could have explored forever; I filled an entire journal with my observations during less than a month. And King Antonio… well. I like him very much. I like his kingdom. I even like his aggravating son. But this," waving the letter in the air, "I cannot be sure of. The proposal is most flattering. I daresay I shall never meet another man to whom I am so well suited. So why do I hesitate?"

She was silent for awhile, pondering. At last she spoke again. "I am not violently in love with him, not like you are with your prince, Betony. Or is he the king now, and you the Faerie Queen? I don't know how such things work in your world. But I could be in love with him, very easily, if I let myself. He is everything that attracts me in a man. I don't think my reluctance has to do with him at all. It is this feeling that I have finally _started_ and that marrying now would be stopping too fast. There is so much of the world to see, and now that I have had this taste I want to keep _going._ Is this unreasonable of me?"

"No," replied a voice which was certainly not Betony's. Aster turned about to see that Michael was standing not so far away. Her face became tinged with red as she glared at him.

"Now Princess, don't be angry with me for doing my job," said Michael calmly. "I was coming over here to trim the ivy, not to eavesdrop. And I only heard the last bit in any case."

Aster relaxed a bit and squared her shoulders against the wall as Michael began to clip the ivy. She said nothing, so Michael felt he could proceed a bit further.

"I spent eight years traveling before I came here, mostly with the army, but some on my own. There is a wonder in seeing new places and meeting new people. Eventually you start looking for a reason to stay in one place, but it's a good life while it lasts. No, I don't think you're being at all unreasonable."

"A princess might find wandering about the world a bit more problematic than a soldier would," said Aster. "I doubt Father will like the idea at all."

"Problematic, but undoubtedly more comfortable," grinned Michael. "And I wouldn't let your father in on all your plans at once. Maybe a visit to your sister in Eldyfa would be a good place to start."

And so King Antonio soon received a letter of rejection. He was not, however despondent. Aster had explained her reasons for refusing him, and he could still hope that one day she would get tired of junketing and be willing to confine her explorations to his own kingdom. In the meantime, he had many responsibilities to distract his mind from the loveliest and wittiest woman he had ever met.

Princess Aster, meanwhile, was busily planning a trip to Eldyfa to visit her sister Laurel. The birth of a second Eldyfan prince, announced recently to the court of Beloeil by a special courier, was an excellent excuse to travel. King Claude could not object, insisting only that one of her sisters accompany her in order to lend the visit an added measure of royal dignity. Marigold, rather offended by being left out of the Paloman invitation, immediately agreed to go, in secret hopes that the journey might afford her the adventure her heart craved.

With a swift carriage and frequent changes of horses, it still took all of two days to reach Lahairlyn, the capital city of Eldyfa. They were obliged to spend one night at the court of Gornibus, a former enemy kingdom, where they were sufficiently but coldly welcomed.

"What an odious little kingdom Gornibus is," remarked Marigold as they were on their way again. "All that offended dignity, as if we had provoked them to war all that time ago, when it fact it was quite the opposite. And I daresay they would not have been so gracious to us if they had won!"

"No, I'm sure they would have kicked Father off his throne and that we'd all be living as royal prisoners of war for the rest of our lives," agreed Aster. "What different lives we might have led!"

This thought gave both ladies reason to reflect quietly for some time. Finally, Aster broke the silence with "Well, they are horrid, but one should be just. That soufflé at dinner was the best I've ever had, and I hear they are famed for their music."

Upon their arrival at Lahairlyn, they were warmly received by their sister and brother-in-law. However, Aster perceived that her sister seemed preoccupied, anxious even, with a noticeable look of worry in her eyes. As they walked down the magnificent hallway, Princess Laurel drew Aster a little away and spoke in a soft voice,

"Aster, the most dreadful thing! Who should have arrived yesterday but Prince Loc of Gemn!"

Aster's reaction was all that her sister had anticipated. She stared dumbly for a moment before exclaiming in as subdued a tone as she could manage, "But what the deuce should he be doing here? I thought your husband detested him!"

"So he does, but apparently in the last several years Prince Loc has become Gemn's chief diplomat, and as Eldyfa is negotiating a trade agreement with Gemn, we could hardly refuse to welcome him without causing a considerable problem," explained Laurel. "Morgan wanted to refuse him anyway, but I convinced him that starting a war was hardly the proper thing to do. So we must suffer the prince's presence. I must say, he does seem a much nicer boy than he was when last I met him, but I cannot forget how ill he behaved in Beloeil. And had I known he would come when you were visiting, I should have written begging you to have postponed the visit."

Both princesses involuntarily glanced toward Marigold, who was chatting with Prince Morgan all oblivious to their regard. In spite of all her avowals of her hatred for Prince Loc of Gemn, her elder sisters worried that she was susceptible still to the man's villainous charm. Laurel could not see how Marigold could find any sort of mean-spiritedness an attraction; Aster could at least admit that Prince Loc's repugnant manners could strike one of Marigold's imaginative powers and romantic disposition as somehow beguiling. But Aster was in complete agreement with Laurel in believing that a furtherance of the acquaintance could do Marigold no good whatsoever.

Still, they were to encounter him at dinner, so it was imperative that Marigold be told of his presence. Aster engaged herself for the task somewhat grudgingly, but it proved unnecessary, for as the party rounded a corner on their way to the guest bedchambers, they suddenly found themselves face to face with the notorious Prince Loc himself.

Aster recovered her own composure quickly enough to observe Marigold's interesting change in color. First her face went pale, and then a pink blush suffused her cheeks. As for the prince, Aster was most interested to note a very slight flush upon his own countenance. Unlike Marigold, however, he did not seem to be overcome by surprise. He made a very proper bow and said,

"Your Highnesses, what a pleasure to see you both again," without a trace of embarrassment in his voice. "I trust you had a pleasant journey."

"Most pleasant," replied Aster, seeing that Marigold could not be expected to participate in this extremely polite exchange of words. "I am told you are here on some diplomatic business."

"Yes; in fact, I am on my way to a meeting now."

"Oh drat it, I forgot about that," said Prince Morgan, checking his watch. "I'm sorry, girls, I shall have to leave you to Laurel's care or I shall be late. We shall see you at dinner."

With this the two gentlemen took their leave, Marigold staring after them open-mouthed.

"Come, dearest," said Laurel, gently taking hold of her younger sister's arm and guiding her in the direction of her bedchamber. "I'm so sorry that you should have to meet that man again. But he shall not be here long, just a few more days until these trade meetings are over."

"I don't understand," said Marigold at last when she was seated on the edge of Aster's bed. "Why should he of all people be here?"

"Trade meetings," said Aster. "Apparently he's a diplomat now."

"A diplomat! For heaven's sake," muttered Marigold.

"You are going to be alright, aren't you?"

"Don't be silly, why should his being here bother me?" queried Marigold with a forced laugh. "He was a villain to all of us, but there's no reason I should particularly be disturbed by his presence."

"No, you are quite right. He is just barely an acquaintance, and we must treat him only as such. He appears to have reformed his manners, for which we can be grateful, but we need not pay him any particular attention," said Aster breezily as she brushed her hair. Perhaps, she thought, Marigold had outgrown her romantic fancies. In any case it would be best to encourage an indifferent politeness toward Prince Loc. Whether or not Marigold was incapable of indifference would have to be seen.

Dinner passed without event. Everybody was extremely polite and on their best behavior. Prince Loc excused himself very shortly after the meal, claiming that he had some letters to write, and the rest of the evening was spent as a family party, the aunts cosseting their nephews until those two diminutive gentlemen were put to bed. The King and Queen of Eldyfa were found to be pleasant and intelligent, and Aster happily accepted the King's invitation of a tour of the city upon the morrow. Marigold however, believed she was still too fatigued from the journey, and decided that she would spend the day in Eldyfa's magnificent library.

Laurel joined her sister for the better part of the morning and was happy to show Marigold all of her favorite treasures. But a princess of a large kingdom with a three year-old and an infant has many demands on her time, and eventually she left Marigold curled up in a chair with a book of Eldyfan poetry translated into the common tongue. Marigold, absorbed in a particularly thrilling ballad, did not notice when the library was entered and she was therefore quite startled when a masculine voice bade her good morning.

She looked up; Prince Loc was standing near the door. He gave a short bow and begged pardon for disturbing her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, forgetting, in the absence of her sisters, to be coolly polite.

"I am looking for a book," replied the prince. "It is with such an intention, I believe, that one generally enters a library."

"Oh," replied Marigold, somewhat deflated by this commonplace explanation. "Well, I'm sure you are welcome to look for any book you please."

"Thank you," said the prince with a charming smile, and he proceeded to examine a bookcase. Marigold pretended to return to her ballad as she cast covert glances his way. She did not know what to make of him. Her only previous knowledge of him was as the cunning and utterly self-centered young man who had attempted to make fools of her and all her family. And now here he was, with not a trace of villainy in his bearing or speech, acting like a perfectly respectable second prince of a middle-sized kingdom. A diplomatic representative, in fact! She was baffled as to what could have effected such a total change. She began to imagine possibilities, and had begun to indulge the immensely gratifying idea that his short acquaintance with her had inspired his reformation. She was on her way to embellishing this tale of evil, love, and remorse, which bade well to surpass the forgotten ballad in its level of romance, when her reverie was once more interrupted.

"I beg your pardon once again, Princess," said Prince Loc from his bookcase. "I wonder if you can be of some assistance to me."

"Of course," said Marigold politely. "I am not as yet very familiar with this library, but I will help you if I can. What are you searching for?"

"A novel," said the Prince. She eyed him suspiciously. His countenance was smiling, but perfectly innocent.

"What sort of a novel?"

"Oh, something very romantic. I am in need of diversion."

"I am not sure what your idea of romance is, Your Highness."

"Well, how about one of those stories with a beautiful princess and a dashing but depraved villain who must reform himself in order to win her love and trust?"

Marigold caught sight this time of the teasing look in his eye, and stamped her foot in indignation.

"How dare you!" she flung at him. The innocent look returned.

"I don't understand how I have offended, Princess, but I most sincerely beg pardon for having upset you," he said. "I was only wanting to find a book."

If he begged her pardon once more he would find a book knocking him upside the head. She rose and headed toward the door.

"I am going for a walk," she announced loftily.

"What a splendid idea. Perhaps I shall join you, for I have not found a book to entertain me and I must keep myself occupied until the next meeting." He followed her out of the library and Marigold knew not what to do. She had lost control of herself briefly and she could not humiliate herself further by rudely refusing his escort. She consented to walk out with him, and even stood demurely still as he helped her to drape her cloak over her shoulders.

They strolled through the gardens, and the Prince behaved quite charmingly. So charmingly that Marigold soon came to forget her perplexity and to participate fully in the conversation. When Princess Aster, returning from her tour of the city in the King's coach, caught a sideways glimpse of the couple walking and laughing in the garden, she raised her eyebrows and predicted trouble ahead.


	12. Ch11 A Royal Abduction

_Well, here it is at last, the latest installment of the princess' adventures. I apologize for so long an absence. Marigold's situation has been giving me writer's block. She is one of the characters who I sympathize with the least and I found it hard to throw myself into her story, even though I thought the return of the villainous Prince Loc should give me plenty of good ideas. In the end, I decide to use Aster's point of view to accomplish my goals. You will notice that Aster has jumped from being more of a background character to being quite in the forefront the last few chapters. This is because Aster is the "me" character; standing back and watching everybody without becoming involved until necessary. And so it is quite fitting that Aster should manage to bring about in this story what I have also been working to bring about. I hope that this will satisfy Marigold-Loc and Aster fans alike! In any case, it gets me over a hurdle, and I hope that the rest of the story will flow at a faster pace._

_By the by, I'd be interested to know from my readers which characters they like the best. Feedback is always welcome! As I'm working on a revision of my first princess book, I'd be very interested to know what people like the best, what people like the least._

_Queen Eleni_

**Chapter Eleven: A Royal Abduction**

Trouble was indeed on its way, but in the meantime Aster enjoyed her Eldyfan sojourn immensely. The trade meetings lingered on due to Gornibus' impractical insistence on a fifty percent tax on potatoes (their greatest export), and Aster was thus able, at mealtimes, to converse with diplomats from many far off lands. She learned so many new things, and was already picking up phrases of the Eldyfan language; her interest in the kingdom made her a favorite with the king; and due to Marigold's lack of attention to any matter not concerning her own romantic situation, she was very easily declared young Prince Arthur's favorite Beloeilan aunt. Two weeks passed in a charming manner, and although Aster watched the growing companionship between Marigold and Prince Loc with a good deal of misgiving, she thought that her intervention would not be needed. After all, he would soon be leaving Lahairlyn, and that would be an end to it.

The hour after luncheon on the day the meetings finally ended saw Princess Aster strolling in the gardens with Lord Matteo of Iluska, that kingdom's diplomatic representative. A slight, energetic man with a rather crooked nose, near in age to herself, Lord Matteo had become Aster's particular favorite among her new acquaintance. He was an expert on Iluskan culture, and well-acquainted with knowledge of the wide world, and never at a loss when it came to intelligent conversation. He was to be off to Iluska next morning, and they were enjoying a final chat.

Lord Matteo was carrying on quite enthusiastically about his prince's art collection when Aster glimpsed a scene that caused her to hush his lordship quite rudely. He obeyed, a trifle bewildered, and even more so when she grabbed his arm and pulled him behind a hedge. Peering around the corner, she saw that it was indeed Prince Loc and her sister standing very close together not too far off, and that if she were to creep along behind the hedge as it curved west she would be able to hear them very well without being seen. Her finger on her lips, she beckoned Lord Matteo to follow her, and so they made their way quietly toward the couple.

"Oh Loc, I always knew we were meant to be!" Marigold was saying. "What good fortune our meeting here again!"

"My love, your forgiveness was the only thing needed to make me a completely reformed man," said Prince Loc, nobly. Aster was taken aback when he added, "I shall travel to Beloeil at once to ask your father's permission."

Apparantly Marigold was taken aback too. There was an ominous silence. Then Prince Loc asked his love if there was something the matter.

"I don't know what you can be thinking," she said in agitation. "You can't just go and ask his permission like you were anyone."

"Why not?" asked Loc.

"Depend upon it, he shall banish you from the kingdom!" said she. "And then we shall be parted forever! No, it will not do."

"I don't see why, after I have explained matters to him, he should not relent," said Loc, in a slightly exasperated tone. "After all, I've been a model of rectitude for several years, and he will surely forgive my wild youth."

"I cannot believe you to be so spiritless!" cried Marigold. "I thought you of all people would see how it must be!"

"Marigold, what exactly is it you want me to do?"

"We clearly must elope!" she declared. "Or even better, you could abduct me!"

Another silence. Aster, behind the hedge, was torn between alarm and amusement. She began to feel sorry for Prince Loc in his present predicament.

"Now, Marigold," he started, then stopped again to consider the matter. He seemed to make up his mind for he said, with only a small shake in his voice, "You are quite right. I beg your pardon for being so spineless. When would you like me to abduct you?"

"You could do it tomorrow," Marigold suggested.

"No, I don't think I could abduct you here in Lahairlyn," argued the prince, getting into the spirit of things. "Think of all the guards and your sisters and Prince Morgan. All you would have to do is shout, and half the Eldyfan army would come running to rescue you."

"But I wouldn't shout," said Marigold.

"If you don't shout, then it's an elopement, not an abduction," reasoned Loc.

"Ah yes, I see. Well, what do you suggest?"

"I could dress as a highwayman and hold up your carriage when you and your sister travel home," he offered. "Then I could seat you before me on my horse and we could ride off together."

Marigold laughed with delight and said she thought it the best plan she had ever head.

"Very well, then," said Loc, now that matters had been settled. "I shall leave tomorrow as planned, only rather than heading to Gemn, I shall hold up in some country town in Gornibus. It's the perfect place for an abduction, all those potato fields and a very incompetent army."

The interview was at an end, and the two parties soon went their separate ways. Carefully, Aster stood up, and seeing all to be clear, she indicated that Lord Matteo might join her.

"Well," said Lord Matteo, "that was quite an interesting conversation. What do you intend to do about it, Princess?"

"I must admit that I am not quite sure," said Aster, her eyebrows drawing together. "All I can say is that my sister is surely very silly. As to Prince Loc, I cannot quite make out his intentions. I beg, Lord Matteo, that you will speak of this matter to nobody at present. I wish to thwart this abduction in a quiet manner, and would not have my sister's folly exposed."

"Nor would I, Princess Aster," said Lord Matteo with a slight bow, "and I shall leave you to your thoughts. I hope that we shall meet again. Perhaps in your travels you will someday make your way to Iluska. I am sure that Prince Andrei, who is in every way a connoisseur of beauty, would be more than happy to welcome you and any of your sisters."

Princess Aster replied politely, and was then off to the library, where she spent a good twenty minutes deep in thought before being interrupted. Just as she was tying her mind around the difficult problem of Prince Loc's real or false villainy, the subject of her thoughts entered the room. He bowed and then stood for a moment, looking somewhat uncomfortable, though not discomposed.

"Prince Loc," said Aster, not rising to curtsey. "What a pleasure, I'm sure."

"Princess Aster," said Loc, walking over to her and taking a chair nearby. "I know that this will surprise you. I surprise myself for being at such a loss. But I cannot think of another way out of it. I require your assistance in a predicament."

Aster was surprised, but she would wait to hear his story before judging on his sincerity. She said nothing.

"I have become engaged to your sister Marigold," he began. "After our past dealings, I am sure this news cannot be particularly gratifying to any member of your family. But I see no reason for despair, and had thought that your father might come to overlook my transgressions and to grant his permission for our marriage. Yet Marigold assures me this is not the case."

"Marigold tends to see the world in her own way," said Aster.

"She wants me to abduct her!" he let out with a burst of real exasperation.

"And will you?"

"I said I would, and I can't see my way out of it now," said the prince. "If I had had a little more time to think of a way of convincing her! But it is too late. I am to abduct her during your journey home."

"And what do you want me to do about it?" asked Aster, eyes wide. Prince Loc stared at her.

"Stop the abduction, I suppose. Surely you could do something that would seem to prevent it without it being evident that I had forewarned you."

"You must think this through," said Aster. "If I do prevent it, what then? I am sure my father would never consent once he heard that you had attempted to abduct Marigold. You would be worse off than before."

"You are right," he said, dropping his head into his hands. "I have backed myself into a corner, which is something I never thought I would do."

Aster was beginning to feel sorry for Prince Loc. She saw that although he was still a schemer of sorts, he might truly love Marigold. And it was even more evident that Marigold was determined to have him. Aster thought that Marigold was a fool, but she was not a weak fool. Marigold would not give up once her mind was set upon something, and who knew what escapades she would devise for herself if she was thwarted now? For the sake of her father's sanity it would surely be better to have Marigold married to this young man, who had a strong will of his own. Perhaps once Marigold had one romantic venture achieved, she would settle down and be content with everyday life. At least, Aster reflected pragmatically, once the knot was tied, Marigold's heedless thirst for adventure would be the kingdom of Gemn's problem and not Beloeil's.

All these things passed through Aster's mind in a moment, and she decided that she would indeed assist Prince Loc.

"Here is what you will do," said Aster authoritatively. "You will first write a letter to my father, in which you will explain to him your reformed character, your respectful affection for Marigold, and your desire to marry her in the proper fashion."

"Princess Aster, I have already done so a dozen times!" he protested. "And I always receive the same negative answer, word for word."

"Yes, that's Lavender and Alain," said Aster serenely. "They don't like you. But this letter will differ slightly. You will also state that your mother would like to meet Marigold, and so you have invited Marigold and myself to Gemn for a short visit. Then all three of us will travel to Beloeil together, where you will ask my father's consent in person."

"Ah. I begin to understand you," said Loc, a gleam of comprehension dawning. "But the abduction?"

"You will abduct Marigold just as you said you would, and you will travel with her to Gemn," continued Aster. "I, naturally, will follow in hot pursuit…"

Another quarter of an hour of discussion, and the matter was concluded. Marigold's great adventure had been cleverly arranged, hopefully to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Excerpt from a letter sent from Princess Aster at the Palace of Gemn to her sister Princess Lavender of Beloeil:

_You will by now be aware of the letter I sent to my father concerning our journey to Gemn, and will have received Loc's note as well. Do not be alarmed, all is quite well, but I had to take matters into my own hands. The letter was sent to reassure Father; in fact, Marigold's thirst for romance has required me to be not quite truthful in all respects. I will give you a fuller account of this most interesting affair when I return, but I will give you a brief idea of our proceedings here._

_ We encountered Loc in Eldyfa by pure circumstance, and Marigold was instantly in love. And I must say, Lavender, that I do believe Loc has indeed undergone a change in character. His behavior was faultless and I understand he has been in good repute among his fellow men for some time. He seems truly attached to Marigold; due, I am sure, largely to her encouragement, he proposed and was accepted. After this event he came to me and explained his predicament… _[here follows a summary of Prince Loc's conversation with Princess Aster].

_And so I confess to having abetted Prince Loc in his abduction of Marigold, and before you reproach me, allow me to relate what a success it was! He held us up as the carriage was rambling through a potato field in Gornibus (it is an unattractive country, by the by, nothing but potato fields to see), and I could see the sparkle in Marigold's eyes as soon as his horse was heard to approach. She really is the oddest girl, Lavender, but I must say that I nearly laughed aloud to see how delighted she was. She tried to conceal it and acted afraid, wringing her hands and asking me what we should do. Prince Loc played his part to perfection, galloping across the potato field and coming to a sweeping halt in front of the carriage. The coachman drew the horses up just in time to prevent an accident; I had warned him beforehand; you know how long Louis has served our family and I trusted him not to spread the story about. There were the footmen too, of course, and I did not think I ought to take them into confidence. They really believed that we were being held up, but they took their orders from Louis. Prince Loc, a mask over his face, brandished his sword about and demanded that Marigold should be handed over to him. I acted quite terrified, told Marigold that I would do my best to save her, but that with our lives in danger we should acquiesce to his demands. Marigold embraced me affectionately before hopping down from the coach, to be instantly swept up before Loc on his quite dashing black stallion. They rode off into the distance, and I paused a few minutes before issuing instructions to Louis to follow in pursuit. The footmen were quite dazed, but Louis complied and set off in the direction of Gemn._

_ We arrived at Gemn about two hours behind the couple. I concocted for the footmen's benefit a story about inquiring about known highwaymen in the area, and imagine my delight to find that Gemn's prince had happened upon the said highwayman with his hostage in tow, fought said highwayman to the death, and rescued the princess, naturally taking her to the palace to be looked after by his mother! This story satisfied everyone, from the footmen to Loc's family to Marigold herself, who was only disappointed that it hadn't really happened just as Loc said. Being rescued would perhaps have been even more romantic than being abducted. After expressing my gratitude to Loc in a most touching manner, I told Marigold that in the face of such heroic conduct I was sure that our father could not withhold his consent to her marriage._

_I believe she is satisfied now, and I trust that the next insane idea to take hold of her will be managed by Prince Loc and not myself. _

_ I beg you will believe me, Lavender, when I say that Marigold shall be very happy with her villain of a prince. Prince Loc's mother took to her immediately, charmed by her beauty and pretty manners; his elder brother, King Richard, is quite content that Loc should marry a perfectly eligible female. As for Queen Letitia, the sister-in-law, she is bound to like anyone who admires her three very plain children, and Marigold admires them most dutifully. I must conclude that at the time of our first acquaintance Prince Loc must have been going through some kind of phase, for it is impossible that a truly depraved character could have been formed in such a genial environment. Even your husband might have been appalling at the age of one and twenty, after all._


	13. Ch12 A Royal Wedding

**Chapter Twelve: A Royal Wedding**

Princess Columbine viewed the impending wedding of Princess Marigold with mixed feelings. She supposed that she ought to feel grateful that Marigold had asked her to be maid of honor. She had, though, already once stood up as Alyssum's maid of honor and had not found it to be very amusing. It would require her to wear an even more than usually impractical dress and shoes and Columbine had no appreciation of finery. On the other hand, the wedding would provide opportunities to talk to people from other kingdoms who might have information on where she could procure rare animals for her zoological garden. Marigold's wedding to Prince Loc was to be a truly magnificent affair. It was the first really royal wedding King Claude had ever hosted; Laurel had been married in Eldyfa and the weddings of his other daughters to "commoners" had not necessitated invitations to the royal families of neighboring kingdoms. But Marigold's marriage was a matter of widespread political import, as it would forge an alliance between Beloeil and Gemn. King Claude was ecstatic over the opportunity to show hospitality on a lavish scale. And though Columbine could see the merits of such an occasion, she was also soon to learn that there were more sufferings to be endured than the mere wearing of an uncomfortable gown.

"Why c-can you not g-go with me to Galmans?" Columbine demanded of Pierre as she perched on the corner of his desk. "I thought w-we had settled it l-last month that we should g-go to oversee the w-work."

"It's the wedding," said Pierre, with one eye on a list of figures. "It has added greatly to my workload. Not only is there the marriage settlement to be dealt with, but the expense of the event means I have to reconstruct the annual royal budget."

"Oh," said Columbine. "I s-suppose you will h-have to do a g-great deal of arithmetic."

"Yes, and I assure you I would much rather go to Galmans than calculate the price of pink champagne." Pierre hesitated a moment and looked up at Columbine's face. Her brows were drawn together in that particular way that denoted she was thinking very seriously. He did not wish to add any more to whatever care she had, but he was not a man to shirk from his duty.

"I must let you know, Princess," he started slowly. "That the expense of the wedding will necessitate some cutting back in other areas of expense." She looked inquiringly at him and he continued, "The money budgeted for work on the zoological garden will have to be very much reduced this year, I'm afraid."

He waited for her reaction. She was not one to be easily upset, but he felt that this might indeed be enough to provoke her. For the past two years, the zoological garden had been the object of her thoughts and actions, and her opinion of splendid parties and gowns was, he felt sure, decidedly low. She could not but feel a sense of injustice as well as disappointment. He himself was disappointed; the budget cut would not have dramatic consequences, as the majority of the zoological garden's expense was paid for by donations, but it would indeed set the work back several months. He had come to feel personally responsible for the project, and to disappoint Princess Columbine was the last thing on earth that he wanted to do.

"Oh," said Columbine after several moments of silence. She bit her lower lip and took a breath. "W-well, I suppose it c-cannot be helped. M-money doesn't grow on t-trees, after all."

"I'm sorry, Princess," Pierre said quietly. "If there was another way, you may be sure I would have discovered it."

"It isn't in the l-least your fault," said Columbine. "And I'm s-sure I think M-marigold should have a s-splendid wedding if she wants one, even though I d-don't know why she should. D-do you know, at Alyssum's w-wedding, I tripped over the h-hem of my gown and f-fell flat on my face in the m-middle of the ceremony?"

They laughed together and imagined all the various ways in which Columbine might disturb the tranquility of the wedding to come.

"Celandine has been playing funeral dirges all morning," complained Marigold as she entered the sunny parlor, where yards of expensive fabric were piled on tables, along with snippets of trimming, silk flowers, and measuring tapes. "When I asked her why she was so gloomy, she merely sniffed and kept playing!"

"She doesn't like Prince Loc," said Aster, who had been consulting with Ivy concerning the decorations. "And you know she always takes out her emotions on the piano."

"I don't see why she shouldn't like him," said Marigold, her cheeks reddening, "He's never done anything to her!"

"She says his smirk gives her stomach cramps," said Ivy, her gaze focused critically on two ribbons in slightly different shades of pink. "I think the lighter, don't you?"

"Well, I'm sure I never would say such a thing about anyone!" said Marigold, now quite heated. "And I think it quite paltry of Celandine to never open her mouth except to sing, and then to suddenly start casting aspersions on the man I love!"

"I'm sure Celandine's dislike of your beloved has only to do with his effect on her physical health and bears no connection to any personal animosity," said Aster in an attempt to be soothing. "Come and help us with all this finery, then. You know the seamstress is coming in less than an hour, and we must have something definite to tell her."

Marigold was always easily diverted by pink ribbons, and she had soon forgotten any feelings of ill-usage. When Columbine came in fifteen minutes later, Marigold begged her to give her opinion on which shade of pink was preferable.

"I d-don't like pink," said Columbine frankly. "I would m-much rather wear b-blue or yellow or even g-green. But never m-mind. Pierre g-gave me the invitation l-list and he w-wants you to look over it, and s-see if anyone is missing." She handed Marigold a sheaf of paper.

"How very splendid it all shall be," said Marigold as she leafed through the papers with a sigh of delight. "All the royal families of all the kingdoms are to be invited! Papa says there has been nothing like it since his aunt Clarisse married a prince of Brenia!"

"I don't s-see why you n-need to invite _all_ the royal f-families," objected Columbine. "W-why should you w-want Mecant or Gornibus at y-your wedding?"

"It's a matter of duty," said Marigold primly. "It would be extremely rude not to invite everyone."

"I d-don't understand it," said Columbine. "But at l-least we shall see s-some people we like. It w-will be nice to s-see Laurel and Morgan. And the K-king and Prince of Paloma, of c-course."

"Will you still go to Galmans, Columbine?" asked Aster, not raising her eyes from the table.

"If I c-can find someone to g-go with me. Papa s-says I cannot travel alone, and since P-pierre cannot go I d-don't know how I shall m-manage."

"Columbine, you cannot go away _now_," said Marigold in a shocked tone. "The wedding is not so far away and you are my maid of honor!"

"Well, I d-don't see how I should b-be helpful," argued Columbine. "M-maybe Celandine will g-go with me. She doesn't s-seem to be busy doing anything but p-playing the piano all day."

Celandine, however, was not to be convinced that a journey to Galmans was a greater amusement than her musical studies, and so Columbine was to resign herself to pink finery. She managed to keep her disappointment to herself, as all around her were fully occupied with wedding business, and she did what she could to help. Since she was indeed quite useless to her sisters in the deciding of decorations and food and gowns, her assistance took the form of helping Lord Alain and Pierre with invitations and accounts. Though she had not Pierre's head for numbers, she was quite skilled at organizing papers, and had a neat writing hand, and Alain was kind enough to tell her that he would always have a job available for her if she ever found herself unemployed.

The first guests began to arrive about a week before the wedding. Princess Eglantine and the Duke of Galmans were among the first, and Columbine was surprised to find in her irascible sister a most sympathetic ear.

"All this pink makes me want to join Celandine in her stomach cramps," complained Eglantine as she trod about the stables, looking for signs of neglect. Columbine perched on a nearby bale of hay and regarded her sister's daring ensemble of fitted riding breeches, yellow cotton blouse, and high leather boots with some envy. King Claude and several other members of the royal court had nearly fainted with shock when Eglantine had strode into the front hall on her husband's arm arrayed in trousers and a tastefully embroidered tunic.

"D-does your husband r-really not mind your w-wearing such clothes?" enquired Columbine.

"He says he doesn't," said Eglantine, and a sudden grin lit her face. "I think he has decided to choose his battles, in any case. I don't say that all women would be better off in trousers, but they are surely more practical for those of us who spend more time in a stable than in a drawing-room."

"I w-wish Papa would let m-me wear them," said Columbine. "You know I am f-forever tripping over my h-hem."

"The thing is," said Eglantine confidingly, "that marriage, in spite of its many difficulties, can have several advantages. One of them being that you may find it easier to persuade your husband to leave you to do as you please than it is to persuade your father."

"Well, since I d-don't have a husband, it d-doesn't matter," pointed out Columbine. "D-do come look, I've f-found a nest of baby m-mice in the straw!"

Eglantine obligingly took a peek, but shuddered and said she thought baby mice perfectly hideous. "You could get a husband, you know," she added as she turned back to the horses.

"W-where?"

"Why don't you marry Pierre? You seem to get along famously," said Eglantine. "And he seems the sort who would let you wear trousers if you wanted to."

"B-but he's my f-friend!" said Columbine, amused by the thought of marrying Pierre. "I c-couldn't marry my friend!"

"Why not? I'm sure David is my friend, and that Alain is Lavender's friend, and that Michael is Alyssum's friend. If nothing else, marriage ought to be a friendship."

Columbine was not certain whether she appreciated this new, friendly, worldly-wise version of her sister. When Eglantine was chasing her with a blunt object, it was easy enough to run away. Countering matrimonial advice was not so simple a task.

"I d-don't want to marry anyone," she said, a trifle crossly. "M-marrying is a dull business. I'd m-much rather work on my z-zoological garden than b-bother with weddings and s-such stuff."

"I see your point," said Eglantine, "I do think it's a shame, all the fuss being made over Marigold's wedding. I could never tolerate such a waste of time and money. But it would not have to be so for you."

"I d-don't want to t-talk about it," said Columbine firmly, realizing that she could not depend on Eglantine being tactful enough to change the subject. "What d-do you think I should g-get Marigold and Prince L-loc as a wedding p-present?"

"Something pink?" laughed Eglantine. "We are giving a fine pair of carriage horses, born and bred at Galmans. They're being sent up tomorrow."

"I c-can't think of anything," sighed Columbine, depressed.

Aster proved to be more helpful in Columbine's hour of need. "Give them something that only you would think of," she suggested. "Something that you find very special."

"I only f-find animals special," said Columbine. They were taking Alyssum's children for a stroll, Aster carrying baby Daffodil, Columbine leading the toddling Jack, and Melissa skipping before them.

"Then get them an animal."

"B-but Eglantine is already g-giving them horses," objected Columbine.

"Think of something else. What about a dog?"

"Oh, y-you have it!" exclaimed Columbine, turning pink with pleasure. "C-Caramel's puppies were j-just weaned this week, and they are s-so sweet. M-marigold has been t-too busy to see them, b-but you know she is v-very fond of p-puppies. I'll take the n-nicest one, no m-maybe a pair, and start t-training them this m-moment!"

She was so excited that she let go of Jack's hand and made off for the kennel immediately. Aster, left with the children, sighed, shifted Daffodil to one arm, seized Jack's hand, and called to Melissa to slow down. By the time they were nearly to the palace veranda, Aster's curls were askew, her dress was decidedly rumpled, and both Melissa and Jack's clothing displayed generous splashes of mud. It was in this state that the King of Paloma found her as he strolled around a hedge.

"How do you do, Princess?" he said with admirable gravity as he gave his bow. "I have only just arrived, and thought to take a turn about the gardens. I am glad to see you in such good health."

"Thank you, it is such a pleasure to meet again," she returned with equal composure. "If you intend to take this path, I must warn you that there is quite a large mud puddle not five minutes away."

"I think that perhaps I will walk with you instead, and relieve you of the care of at least one of these children."

"You may take the boy, but he is quite dirty. Melissa, do stop pulling on my skirts, have you not done enough damage for one afternoon?"

"But I'm _tired_, Auntie," complained Melissa. "I can't walk anuvver step!"

"Do you know how to ride piggyback?" inquired the King.

"Yes!" crowed Melissa, detaching herself from Aster's skirt and attempting to scramble up King Antonio's leg. He hoisted her onto his back, begged her not to choke him, then scooped up Jack with one arm.

"Thank you," said Aster sincerely. "In the past half hour, my respect for my sister Alyssum's abilities has increased tenfold. I am to return her children to her now; she is taking tea with some of the family on the veranda."

"Yes, I know. It was Princess Lavender who sent me in search of you. My son stayed to take tea with the rest. He was entertaining Monsieur Lefeyrac with a rather exaggerated account of his recent encounter with a lion when I left him."

"Why on earth _do_ you keep lions?" asked Aster, for this question had been nagging at the back of her mind for some time.

"When he was five years old, I gave Ferdinand a picture book about various animals, and he instantly demanded a pet lion," replied King Antonio.

"And so you gave him one? What an indulgent father."

"Well, I was still very young at the time, and the idea of a pet lion to a youth of four and twenty is just as fascinating as to a boy of five."

"You had Ferdinand when you were _nineteen_?" demanded Aster, incredulous.

"I was married at eighteen," said the king lightly, but the look in his eyes was not humorous. "Isabella was a considerable heiress, and my father didn't want to risk the chance of her money going anywhere else."

"Well!" said Aster. "I must say, though I thought very ill of Father at one time for forbidding us to go anywhere or do anything, at least he has never tried to gain wealth by marrying us off. I must remember to thank him."

They had come to the veranda, where they found various members of the royal family, as well as Pierre and Prince Ferdinand, who were indeed engaged in an animated conversation about lions. Alyssum instantly took off her children to be cleaned, and after answering a warm salutation from Prince Ferdinand, Aster went inside to change her dress as well. She was proud of herself for being so composed; she had not changed her mind, but it was much easier to prefer singleness when King Antonio was many miles away. She enjoyed his company too much to wish that he had not come for the wedding, but realized that his presence might make it more difficult for her to keep to her resolve. She foresaw that she would be too often torn between the opportunity to enjoy his company and the desire to distance herself. Oh well, it would only be for a week or so, and a week should not be enough to throw her emotions in a whirlwind.

The groom's party arrived the following day, and once the day of the wedding came, the palace was filled to capacity with an assortment of royals, political ministers, dukes, and earls. King Claude, his daughters, sons-in-law, secretaries, and palace guards all found themselves in a frenzy of activity such as they had never known before. Aster's fears of finding herself too often in King Antonio's company were forgotten in the need to be always at hand to consult on wedding preparations, calm frazzled nerves, and to keep incompatible guests well out of each other's way. The wedding morning saw her awake extremely early, picking flowers in the garden to replace those which had been overset and trampled upon by Alyssum's children the evening before. As she moved along with an enormous basket, she was surprised to encounter Prince Ferdinand strolling along with a pair of wide-eyed puppies at the end of two leashes.

"What on earth are you doing up at such an unearthly hour?" she enquired of the smiling youth.

"Princess Columbine requested me to take these two for their morning exercise and to endeavor to train them to heel on command," he explained. "I don't think they are progressing at the rate she would wish, but she is determined to present them to the happy couple today."

"But why could she not do it herself?"

"She ripped her dress last night while you were trying to decorate the chapel, and the seamstress is coming this morning to fix it."

"Good heavens, I hope I am never compelled to see such another event for the rest of my life!" exclaimed Aster. "I am thoroughly grateful that most of us married nobodies, for I could never have endured multiple royal weddings."

"I hope that you are not, however, prejudiced against royals as possible spouses," said Ferdinand. "It is not, after all, entirely necessary to put on such a show simply because two royals are involved."

"That lacked your usual subtlety," said Aster, snipping a pink rose.

"Especially," he pursued, disregarding her comment, "if one of the royals has already been married. My father's first marriage, for example, was attended by all the pomp and circumstance that a Paloman wedding entailed. None of his subjects would object to his second marriage being a much quieter affair. In fact, they would probably congratulate themselves at having such a moderate monarch."

"I am not going to marry your father," said Aster firmly.

"Never?"

"For one thing, I should very much dislike to be your stepmother," said Aster, avoiding the question.

"I think you'd enjoy it greatly. You could be such a guiding influence, and discourage me from youthful folly. My father assures me I am very foolish, and you ought to marry him if only out of compassion."

"You ought to be beaten for your impertinence," she said without rancor. "And you are too persistent. Why not bother some other poor woman?"

"Because I want him to be happy," said Ferdinand, "Well, I'd best take these dogs along, they are showing marked signs of impatience. I will see you at the wedding."

Aster looked after him a moment before returning to the task at hand.

The wedding was as beautiful as Marigold could have dreamed, the chapel transformed into a fairyland of white lace and pink roses, her gown a fantasy of white silk and ribbons, her bridesmaids almost, but not quite, as beautiful as herself. Princess Columbine did not trip over her hem, although she did nearly forget her duty of taking Marigold's bouquet at the altar; fortunately the moment was saved by Pierre's making a face and waving his nose in the general direction of the flowers. Marigold was promptly, and to all her family's relief, securely married to Prince Loc within an hour, and then all filed out to the garden pavilion for the marriage celebration.

Columbine's hand was claimed by Prince Ferdinand for the first dance, and Aster's by King Antonio, but Aster told the king that she would prefer to sit and watch the festivities with a glass of wine. He consented, but as he brought her a glass he told her that he did not approve of her behaving like a matron.

"Oh, I have no intention of being matronly, for I enjoy dancing as well as most people," said Aster, taking a sip as he sat down beside her. "It is only that this way I have a most excellent means of viewing the affect of your son's gallantry on our poor financial secretary. It is too entertaining a scene to pass up."

"Monsieur Lefeyrac does indeed look less than pleased with Ferdinand," agreed the King, glancing at the punch table where Pierre was attempting to hold a conversation with Captain Clementier while simultaneously keeping an eye on Columbine and her dance partner. "Why did he not ask her to dance himself?"

"He underrates himself," said Aster. "He assumes that Columbine will prefer the attentions of your son, even though he is perfectly aware that she has no regard for rank. It is normally the way of things. Why, Lord Alain went for nearly a decade before declaring himself to Lavender, and she was in love with him all the time!"

"Well, in spite of his great efforts to prove otherwise, I don't think my son is at all in love with your sister," said King Antonio with a smile. "And though I wouldn't throw a bar in his way, I should not wish him to marry so young in any case."

"She wouldn't have him," said Aster. "When she finally takes a look at her own feelings, she will marry Pierre, I'm sure of it. Although the lions might tempt her."

"I wish the lions would tempt you," he commented. "After all, what is the point of keeping lions if not to lure attractive women to our kingdom?"

"I think you should be happy that I am not so mercenary as to marry you for the sake of your pet lions," said Aster firmly. "And it is quite improper to keep talking like this."

"Oh, so it is perfectly acceptable to remark upon the marriage prospects of Ferdinand, Columbine, and Pierre, but not to speak of my own?"

Princess Aster was unable to respond to this, as at that moment a loud shriek went up, and they all looked toward its source. Princess Rose, wringing her hands in consternation, was standing next to the ruins of what had been the wedding cake. In its midst stood Melissa and Jack Star-gazer with impish grins on their faces, a more guilt-stricken Master Hubert Morret, and a pair of sticky puppies.


	14. Ch 13 The Art and Science of Love

**Chapter Thirteen: The Art and Science of Love**

In spite of the cake disaster, the wedding of Marigold and Loc was held to be by all but the highest of sticklers a great success. As royal guests departed, however, a feeling of listlessness fell upon the palace, like the gloomy greyness after a particularly brilliant storm. Celandine took to her bed with a cold she claimed to have caught from Rose's sneezing baby. Alyssum's children had eaten so many sweets that they came down with stomachaches and she was not to be seen in the palace for a whole week. Ivy, her artistic services no longer required in the selection of wedding décor, withdrew once more to her realm of paints and crayons. Aster, finding herself unusually irritable, set her mind to finding some activity to distract her from thoughts of a handsome king, but only became increasingly snappish. Only Columbine seemed to escape the general malaise as she cheerfully returned to her projects for bears and lions and snakes.

"I wish to clarify the terms of our wager," said Lavender to her husband one evening as they sat in their private parlor. He looked up from his book.

"What wager?"

"About Pierre and Columbine and how long it would take them to realize their feelings for each other. Why, did we have another wager?"

"I don't think so, but it is always best to make sure what one is talking of. Which terms did you wish to clarify?"

"Do both of them have to realize it before five years are up for me to win, or just one of them?" asked Lavender.

"Oh, both, I'm sure it was both," said Lord Alain, narrowing his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"I think Pierre has realized it, and I wanted to know if that means I win," Lavender explained.

"He's not said anything to me," said Alain, startled. "What makes you think such a thing?"

"Did you not see the way he was glaring at Prince Ferdinand every time the poor man so much as spoke to Columbine? I would not have been shocked had he challenged him to a duel!"

"He did seem a trifle irritated," conceded Alain, "But feeling jealousy does not equate to being in love."

"Well, I think it's a sign," she said, "but Columbine appears oblivious as ever. Still, I have well over a year in which to prove my case, and I do not despair. I am currently much more concerned about Aster's situation."

"My dear, I don't think Aster would thank you for your concern."

"No, of course she would not, but concerned I must be when she grows restless if she must spend more than a month in one place. At first I thought she was pining for King Antonio, but it was made quite clear to me during the marriage celebrations that it is he who is pining for her. If she is in love with him, why does she not accept him? And if she is not in love with him, why is she so discontent?"

"I cannot answer you," said Alain. "So perhaps we may leave Aster to her own problems and address ourselves to this letter we've received from Iluska."

"Oh that," said Lavender, frowning. "I had forgotten. What an odd man this Prince of Iluska is. Wanting to address himself to Ivy but being too busy to come and do it in person."

"I should imagine ruling Iluska to be a preoccupying task, and perhaps he really does not have the time."

"But to send an envoy in his place? I'm of a mind to dismiss his request out of hand."

"Perhaps we should put it to Ivy," suggested Alain. "She seemed to like Prince Andrei well enough at the wedding.

Aster had given up trying to ascertain any definite explanation of her feelings concerning King Antonio. She decided that it must be boredom that was causing her to be moody, so when Columbine began planning to take her belated trip to Galmans, Aster found herself offering to accompany her.

"Why d-do you want to c-come?" queried Columbine, surprised by this sudden interest in zoology.

"Why not? I should like to visit Eglantine and I daresay your zoological garden is becoming quite interesting."

Columbine looked at her for a minute fixedly, then said with one of her sudden fits of understanding, "I think you are m-missing King Antonio and you j-just want to d-distract yourself."

Princess Aster was momentarily taken off guard by this frank accusation, and her response was less than convincing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you in l-love with him?" asked Columbine, ignoring this paltry denial.

"No."

"You're j-just saying that because you d-don't want to talk about it."

"Well, that's true enough, I don't want to talk about it."

"F-fine, but ignoring the p-problem isn't going to s-solve anything," said Columbine. "Of c-course you can come, if you p-promise not to m-mope."

"I don't mope," protested Aster.

"N-now you're just p-plain lying," said Columbine.

Several weeks later, Pierre and the two princesses set off for Galmans. Aster went to great efforts to be genial and not to mope, and so the party was a happy one, despite Eglantine's less than warm welcome. As Eglantine had become considerably less irritable since her marriage, her attitude was somewhat of a mystery to her sisters until the following morning, when she took one bite of eggs at breakfast, turned a shade of green, and ran out of the room.

"Is Eglantine b-breeding?" Columbine asked the duke. He blinked twice at the question, but replied with perfect equanimity that she was.

"I thought s-so," said Columbine. "I s-suppose that's what's making her so c-cranky."

"You may be right," agreed the duke. "But I wouldn't say so to her. She seems quite determined not to discuss the matter."

"Are you joining us to see the grounds, Princess Aster?" enquired Pierre.

"I suppose so," said Aster. "It is not a long way, I believe?"

"Only twenty minutes by horse," said Eglantine, returning to the room, quite recovered. "We shall ride out as soon as you all have finished eating. Should you prefer the carriage or a mount, Aster?" She sat down at the table and reached for a slice of bread, which she proceeded to eat dry.

Aster prefered to ride horseback. The carriage and three horses were readied, and Aster was surprised to see Eglantine step into the carriage while her husband and Pierre mounted the other horses. However, she noted that her irascible sister glared at the duke as she did so, and guessed that a heated argument on the question of her riding while pregnant had already occurred at some earlier date. At least there was Columbine to keep her company in the carriage; Columbine was far too clumsy to be trusted to stay on a horse, and the question of her travel arrangements had never been brought up.

It was a lovely ride, Aster thought, and she glanced often at the swarth of forest beyond the plain. The leaves of the dark trees almost sparkled in the sun, and she wondered where in all that vastness Betony might be at the moment. Aster wondered often about Betony. What was the life of a fairy princess? In the years that had passed since her disappearance, had she had children? What occupied her days and nights? Should Aster enter the forest, was there any chance that she might catch a glimpse of her lost sister? Or should she be lost herself?

Meanwhile, the envoy of Prince Andrei of Iluska had arrived at the palace of Beloeil. Lord Matteo, for so it was, looked ruefully about him as he waited to meet the king in the royal throne room. His errand was not at all to his liking, and he did not believe his position as Iluska's royal ambassador included such duties as wooing a bride in his prince's stead. Yet he could not protest; Prince Andrei's orders were often whimsical, but they were always absolute. Refusal would mean a demotion at most and imprisonment at worst. Once more Lord Matteo asked himself whether the benefits of his high station outweighed the disadvantages of being always at the royal beck and call.

King Claude soon appeared, accompanied by his eldest daughter. After the necessary exchange of courtesies, Lord Matteo was offered a chair facing the throne, and Princess Lavender also seated herself.

"Well, well," began the king, clearly sensing an awkwardness to the situation. "I'm not quite sure what we should say. I must say that this is the first time anyone has tried to court one of the princesses by envoy."

"I am no less uncertain then yourself, Your Majesty," said Lord Matteo. "My orders were to pay court to Princess Ivy on my prince's behalf; but these were all the instructions I received. As I believe he wrote in his letter, Prince Andrei was much struck by the princess's beauty. He thinks it time to marry, but could not spare the time from his many duties to make such a long journey, and so he sent me in his stead. I suppose my efforts ought to be to represent to the princess the advantages of such a marriage, and perhaps to answer any questions she may have concerning the kingdom of Iluska." The truth, Lord Matteo thought, was that Prince Andrei detested the discomforts of long voyages and could not bring himself to undertake another so soon after the journey for Princess Marigold's wedding.

"My sister has agreed to this scheme," said Princess Lavender, "but that does not mean that she is eager to wed the prince. She will listen to what you have to say, and will make her own decision in her own time. I must advise you, however, that she is of a retiring disposition and is not likely to spend much time in conversing. We therefore hope that our garden and libraries shall provide you with sufficient entertainment; should you wish to ride out into the country, horse and guide are at your disposible. We wish that your stay should be comfortable."

"I thank you," said Lord Matteo, and he spoke truly, for he had wondered how he should manage to occupy himself with courtship for three weeks straight.

"I am sure you should wish to rest after your journey," said Lavender, rising. Lord Matteo also rose, and she added, "I will show you to your room, and we shall hope for your company at dinner at seven o'clock."

Dinner would have been a very quiet affair had not Princess Lavender had the foresight to invite the family from the gardener's cottage. Children, she knew, always could be counted upon to prevent awkward silences and she had guessed correctly that neither Ivy nor Lord Matteo would prove to be loquacious on this occasion. His lordship's silence seemed, naturally enough, to stem from self-conciousness. Ivy did not seem at all self-concious; she was usually quiet and absent-minded enough that Lavender wondered if the purpose of Lord Matteo's visit had entirely slipped her mind.

As the party gathered in the drawing-room after eating, Lord Matteo plucked up his courage and seated himself within talking distance of Princess Ivy. She was sitting in front of a stand supporting her embroidery hoop and had begun to ply her needle. His lordship admired her work, which was truthfully very fine.

"Thank you," said Ivy, not moving her eyes from her work.

"Is it your own design?" he asked, manfully attempting to further the conversation.

"Yes, it is." There was another pause. He looked about and noticed that a rose-colored pile of thread was in a tangle.

"Might I assist you by winding this thread?" he enquired, eager for a task he could accomplish with some success. She looked up at this, regarded the thread, and regarded him.

"If you like," she finally replied. "But do take care, it is a very fine silk."

"You needn't fear," he said, taking the thread, "for I am uncommonly gifted in the untangling of knots."

They said no more for nearly the rest of the evening. Princess Ivy looked up now and again to note Lord Matteo's handling of the thread. He acquitted himself well, having dexterous fingers, and by the time Ivy excused herself to go to bed, he had neatly wound all her threads and placed them according to color in her embroidery box. They parted on excellent terms, and Lord Matteo began to think that perhaps this wouldn't be so very difficult after all.

The days had passed by pleasantly at Galmans. Columbine and Pierre spent most of every day at the grounds of the park, and Aster divided her time between exploring the countryside and writing at a cunning little table thoughtfully provided for her in her bedchamber. Every so often she wandered a trifle too close to the forest and felt the tug of enchantment that emanated from the tall silent trees. She thought of life and love and what they should or could mean for her.

One afternoon found her in particularly sober mood. She sat at her desk, quill lax in her hand, as she stared out the window toward the forest. Columbine caught her in this attitude as she entered the room.

"You ought to have knocked," said Aster without anger.

"W-what are you d-doing cooped up on s-such a fine day?" demanded Columbine, seating herself on the bed.

"I do hope you haven't imported bear hairs into my room," said Aster, eyeing her sister's far from clean gown. "As you can see, I'm writing."

"The p-page is empty."

"Well, I was going to write when you interrupted me."

"Are you p-pining after King Antonio s-still?"

"Heavens, Columbine, how many times do I have to tell you!" exclaimed Aster, throwing her pen down.

"It d-doesn't matter what you s-say," said Columbine patiently. "I m-may not be very knowing on s-such subjects, b-but I know when s-someone is pining. I've s-seen Alyssum p-pining after Michael, and Laurel p-pining after Morgan, and Eglantine p-pining after Galmans, and Marigold p-pining after Prince L-Loc, and it all l-looks the same, and that's what you l-look like! So there's n-no use lying to me."

Aster sighed. Columbine had a point. Perhaps she was pining.

"I don't know what I feel about him," she confessed, "and that is the reason for my moodiness."

"Well, you should f-find out then!" said Columbine helpfully.

"It is not that easy," said Aster. "Matters of the heart cannot be unravelled like one of your scientific questions."

"P-pooh," said Columbine skeptically. "All you n-need to do is d-devise the proper experiment."

"You cannot be serious," said Aster, half laughing.

"I will think of s-something," vowed Columbine. "D-do not worry, I shall n-not fail."

Columbine was true to her word, and the next morning before breakfast she burst once more into Aster's bedchamber. She told her sister that she had devised an infallible test to learn whether or not Aster was in love.

"L-lavender was not enchanted in the f-forest because she was in l-love with Jean," she explained. "And when L-laurel fell in love with M-morgan she stopped b-being enchanted." She smiled and looked at her sister expectantly.

"I must be unusually stupid today," said Aster, "I do not see the point."

"The f-forest is the point!" exclaimed Columbine. "The r-rule of enchantment only applies t-to those who are n-not in love. S-so if you go into the f-forest we can judge b-by the effects whether or n-not you are in love."

Aster could not speak for a full minute. "Columbine," she said at last, "I don't know whether you are brilliant or mad."

"Well, it would w-work, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, but you seem to be forgetting that if I am not in love with King Antonio I would become enchanted and perhaps be lost to this world ever after," said Aster.

"I d-do not forget it," said Columbine. "We shall n-not be so imprudent. I shall c-come with, and if you s-seem to be enchanted, I shall p-pull you away from the forest. R-remember, we did n-not all at once b-become enchanted so that we c-could not come away again. I d-daresay a minute or t-two of enchantment could do n-no harm."

"It still seems incredibly foolhardy," protested Aster. "What if you could not pull me back?"

"I'm sure I c-could," said Columbine, and Aster had to acknowledge that she was probably right. Although both women were tall, Columbine spent much more time in physical exertion than Aster and was undoubtedly the stronger. Aster had once seen her wrestle a sick bear to the ground so that Pierre could tip a vial of medicine down its throat.

"Well," said Aster and paused. Her common sense told her to refuse such an adventure, but she really did want to know the truth of her heart. And she was restless enough to be reckless.

That afternoon Columbine excused herself to Pierre, saying that Aster had found a pleasant ride she wished to show her.

"And you c-cannot come with," she said by way of explanation, "b-because we are g-going to have g-girl talk."

Pierre instantly knew this to be a blind of some sort, but he did not argue. On the few occasions he had ever attempted to argue with Columbine he had ended in a stated of dazed confusion, convinced that she had won the argument but never sure why.

In Beloeil, on that same afternoon, Lord Matteo was facing a dilemna.

His allotted time in Beloeil was drawing to a close and he had spent it well. Talking to Princess Ivy of Iluska and its advantages, mentioning as many of his prince's good qualities as existed, and a few that didn't, and sitting comfortably next to her as she drew or embroidered or painted. He had even had the happy notion of giving her a lesson in sculpting; he was no expert, but his father had been a sculptor of sorts, and Lord Matteo had dabbled enough in the medium to be able to teach it. Princess Ivy had been delighted to learn a new skill. She did not go into raptures of course, but her eyes had sparkled as he had shown her how to mold the wet clay. Such beautiful eyes as she had…

Herein was his dilemna. In courting the princess he had fallen in love with her himself. And, though he was a modest man, he could tell that at the least Princess Ivy liked him. How much he could not tell and he ought not to ask. To speak his own mind would be to betray his prince and his kingdom. To vex Prince Andrei in such a way would surely mean the loss of his position, perhaps also of his rank as an Iluskan nobleman. This he could bear, but if he should also be exiled from his native land he would be grieved indeed.

In addition to all this, Lord Matteo was an honest man and he was bound to fulfill his duty. Whatever followed after, he at least owed it to his prince to carry out his orders. And so, that afternoon, he proposed to Princess Ivy on behalf of Prince Andrei.

They were in the garden at the time, Ivy with her easel and paints before her. The question asked, Ivy made her reply.

"Oh no," she said as if he had asked her if she would like a biscuit. "I rather think not."

"Oh," said Lord Matteo, thrown off by this casual refusal. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Ivy. "Whyever should I wish to marry a man I barely know?"

"But-but you did consent to my prince sending me here to plead his case," said Lord Matteo.

"I did not object, no. That does not mean I ever thought of marrying him."

Lord Matteo began to laugh, for it was indeed an absurd situation. Ivy looked up from her painting to gaze upon him. And then she smiled too.

"Besides," she said, "even if I had thought of it, he ruined his chances by sending you here, for I like you much better."

"Do you?" he felt a thrill of hope.

"Yes," she replied. "And I perfectly understand the difficulty of your circumstances, but I daresay we shall think of something. And if we don't, I have any number of clever relations who would be happy to scheme on our behalf."

Columbine's experiment was successful. The sisters rode out to the forest that afternoon, on the same horse, with Columbine clinging to Aster's waist for balance. It was too distant to walk from the house, and taking a carriage meant taking servants, so this was the imperfect solution.

"The poor horse!" exclaimed Aster as they approached the forest. "We are neither of us featherweights."

They dismounted within a hundred yards of the forest's edge and tied the horse's reins to a nearby bush. Then they walked the rest of the way, firmly holding hands.

"We'll walk in, and w-wait a minute and I w-will watch your f-face to see if anything h-happens. If it d-does, I'll p-pull you right out again," said Columbine. Aster nodded and she took the first step into the forest.

A branch snapped ahead of her. She walked in another step, taking Columbine with her. She wanted to follow the noise, but it was unnecessary, for in an instant, Betony was standing in front of them. The three sisters regarded each other wordlessly for a moment.

"Hullo, B-betony," said Columbine at last, breaking the silence. "It's very g-good to see you."

"My sisters, what do you here?" asked Betony in her gentle, ethereal voice, in which Aster heard just a tinge of exasperation.

"I wanted to see if I would become enchanted, to tell whether or not I'm in love," explained Aster, and it sounded quite ridiculous as she said it.

"Well, you have your answer now," said Betony. "And I think you've taken your chances far enough."

"Yes," said Aster.

"B-but how did you know we were g-going to be here?" asked Columbine.

"I see many things, sister," said Betony, "and it is time you were going."

"B-but," Columbine began, only to be cut off.

"Go," she said, "and remind my other sisters that it is not wise to wander near the forest, for whatever reason!" She was gone with a swish of her white gown and the two remaining walked out of the forest to find the horse.

"You w-would think she'd be h-happier to see us," grumbled Columbine, "b-but at least n-now you have your answer."

"Yes," was all Aster said, as she tried to wrap her mind around what she had known to be true all along. It was only when they arrived at the house that it occurred to her that Columbine hadn't been enchanted either.


	15. Ch14 A Flurry of Letters

At long last, an update! Trying to wrap things up here, and I thought that the epistolary style would help wind up bits and pieces before the grand finale. I hope to finish this upcoming week! – queen eleni

**Chapter Fourteen: A Flurry of Letters**

Letter from Lord Matteo of Iluska to Princess Ivy of Beloeil:

_My dearest Ivy,_

[for sake of brevity, Lord Matteo's professions of love are here passed over]

_ I beg you to congratulate your sisters Princess Lavender and Princess Aster on what has proven to be a most excellent scheme. Their suggestion that my prince might look more favorably on our marriage if he were distracted by another possible wife for himself was surely inspired. On my way back to the Iluskan court, I spent a night at the palace of Prince Egbert of Mecant. My host was gracious, though something of a bore, and while dining I happened to remark the presence of a young sister-in-law of his, a Lady Arabel, who is quite pretty (though she cannot hold a candle to yourself) and quite unmarried. During the course of the dinner my host mentioned several times his desire to see his wife's sister off his hands, and the said wife, a most intimidating woman who appears to be several years her husband's senior, was very eager for her sister's large dowry to be known. I presumed from all this talk that the royal couple had set their sights on a royal match for the Lady Arabel; and without making any promises, I did see fit to mention that my prince was indeed looking about for a suitable wife._

_ I have told you that Prince Andrei is prone to absent-mindedness. When I returned to court and told him that my mission had failed, it was a full minute before he remembered what my business was. He seemed a bit put out by the news in the end, but, though I cannot credit it, his attachment to you did not seem to be very profound. I did happen to mention my meeting the Lady Arabel, and saw fit to wax eloquently for several minutes on her beauty, virtue, and accomplishment (which, considering I had barely exchanged three sentences with the girl, was a challenge even for a diplomat like myself). I also threw in a comment to the effect that my prince's search for matrimonial bliss had inspired me to look about for a wife for myself. I hold high hopes that within several months or so we might see a happy ending to this situation._

_ I remain ever your loving, etc., etc._

Excerpt from a letter from Princess Aster of Beloeil to Princess Laurel of Eldyfa:

_... I beg that you will reveal to no one what I have told you. I have likewise engaged Columbine's secrecy, and I think that our ridiculous escapade will remain known only to the three of us, though I think that Eglantine may have suspicions that we were up to something devious that day. I do not think she can have guessed what, however. I cannot imagine that Eglantine would ever think of doing something so silly as going near the Enchanted Forest! I have told you only because I felt the need to unburden myself to someone, and you are far away. Had I confessed it to anyone in Beloeil, even Lavender, I'm sure I could not have borne the criticism something so foolish an action would attract. Criticism bounces off of Columbine, but you know how sorely vain I am concerning my own intellect. Your judgment will no doubt be severe, but it will be confined to paper, and thus easier to confront rationally._

_ The end of it is that I am still in some doubt as to what to do. Knowing that I am indeed in love with King Antonio has certainly given me clarity as to my own heart, but no course of action has been prescribed. I have rejected him so often and so firmly that I cannot now write to him begging to renew his offer. When we last met he said some nonsense about his offer always standing, but surely a man's pride could not endure such an idea in reality? And even if I were so bold, how would I write it. 'Dear King Antonio, due to a magical intervention I have come to realize what a fool I've been?' No, I must wait and hope that he has not tired of proposing to me. I have not received a letter from him since Marigold's wedding. It is so unfortunate that he should be learning to forget me just when I am learning to value him!_

_ But enough of me, what do you think of Columbine? For all her scientific mind, she appears to remain oblivious that her experiment had more than one result. The evidence surely suggests that she is in love with someone, and it must of course be Pierre. How strange a thing love is, that one can be so completely unaware of it! Pierre, I think, has come to realize his own feelings, but he is guarding them most carefully. No wonder, with so little encouragement to speak! I doubt that any but the most outrageous of circumstances could illuminate Columbine's heart, and he may have to bide his time a good deal longer. At present, they are both absorbed with the zoological garden. It was thought that the expense of Marigold's wedding must set Columbine's project back, but no such thing! Apparantly she spent her time at the wedding celebration talking up the zoological garden to every noble she could find and giving them tours of the menagerie. The result is that more money has been donated than ever before, and she hopes that there will be a grand opening in two months! One must surely admire her, Laurel. Of all of us, she is perhaps the only one who will be remembered after several centuries…._

Letter from Prince Loc of Gemn to Princess Aster of Beloeil,

_My dear sister,_

_ I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. Marigold tells me that you and your sister Lavender have been arranging matters on behalf of Lord Matteo. To think that once I credited myself with some intelligence! I am constantly humbled by your superiority in such matters._

_ Already you are wondering to what this flattery might lead. Yes, I do need your help. Not that I wish to complain about the married state, it is a most excellent thing. And I bear Columbine no animosity for bestowing upon us a pair of ravenous dogs who have chewed through every pair of boots I own. I look forward to a comfortable life of domestic bliss. However, Marigold does not seem to be content with domestic bliss. She has taken to implying that life in the court of Gemn is lacking in adventure and that it is my clear duty to do something about the matter. I know not what to do. I have already abducted her once; how can I hope to top that? And must I continue providing adventures for the rest of our lives? Your counsel in this matter would be most welcome, my dear sister._

_With all my esteem,_

_Loc of Gemn_

Letter from Princess Aster of Beloeil to Prince Loc of Gemn,

_My dear brother,_

_ Take her traveling somewhere and arrange to get hopelessly lost in a dark forest. I'm sure this is well within your abilities. Do not be overanxious, I am sure once children come she will have all the adventure she desires. I hope this is also well within your abilities. Give her my love._

_Sincerely,_

_Aster of Beloeil_

Excerpt from Elise Alain to Princess Lavender of Beloeil:

…_and so I think you will find that the tea will quite drive away poor Celandine's cough. What a girl she is for being ill, to be sure! It quite bewilders me how she acquires so many maladies when she does not appear to ever leave the palace._

_ I received a letter from Pierre just yesterday, and it seems that he is ecstatic over this zoological garden, or whatever you are calling it. You know I am not one to lie for the sake of politeness, and I must tell you that at first I was quite against the scheme. It seemed a shocking use of funds that might be better spent elsewhere, and I was quite surprised that you and Jean gave your approval. But it seems I was in the wrong; I hope I can admit a mistake! Pierre tells me of how the project is already bringing fame to our little kingdom among our greater neighbors and that in itself is a worthy goal, not to mention the revenues that Beloeilan inns and carriage houses will bring in as a result of travel to the site. It has been many years since the war with Gornibus brought us renown, and I think it fitting that we shall now be famed for quite a different sort of project! Your sister Columbine is the most redoubtable girl!_

_ But what, pray, my dear Lavender, is my silly baby brother about? From his letters it is plain to me that Pierre is pining after Columbine. They have known each other so many years, what is he waiting for? I do not understand men at all! Do you think Jean might drop a hint in his ear? I would do it myself were I not perfectly aware that young men seldom listen to their older sisters. _

_ Well, I leave it to your discretion. Did you hear this piece of news about Prince Andrei of Iluska going to marry some in-law of Egbert of Mecant? Was he not all aflutter for your sister Ivy? If I were Prince Andrei's sister, I should most strongly advise him against such an alliance. What good ever came out of Mecant? I should think it most unwise to form a connection with such a kingdom…_

Letter from Princess Columbine of Beloeil to Prince Ferdinand of Paloma,

_Dear Ferdinand,_

_ I hope that you and your father are in good health, and that is all I remember of how one is to properly begin a letter. I do not write letters very often, for I think it a tedious business. But since I must ask about the lions, I thought I may as well write a real letter since the courier would have to travel all that way to send the message to you in any case. Have you ever thought what it must be like to be a courier, and to keep riding back and forth from kingdom to kingdom for days on end? You would probably come to think that royal people were quite mad to spend so much on just sending a letter, although I suppose you would be grateful enough if you were well paid. I enquired as to couriers, and found that we have five men employed in this business, which is two more than Eldyfa. It's because my sisters write so many letters, I suppose. This letter will be sent with Hercule, who is quite bow-legged from all that riding. And I see now that I have gone on and on about couriers, which was not my intent in writing this letter. That's why I don't like to write, one gets in such a muddle and leaves out the point._

_ I think there ought to be a new paragraph here. Well, I meant to ask about the lions. The zoological garden is coming along so nicely, I got ever so many contributions after Marigold's wedding. Would you believe, some old duke from the southwest told me that he had intended to leave a great deal of money in his will to build some huge monument to himself, but he said he'd rather give it to my project, and get to stroll about and see some strange animals before he dies. And thank your father very much for his contribution, it was very generous. So now we have been pushing ahead and the cages will be ready for the animals in just a few more weeks. If someone could bring the pair of lions in a month's time, that would be very nice. I know the transport of lions will be difficult, so I hope a month is long enough to make the arrangments. Pierre helped me to think up the nicest of cages for them. It will actually be two cage walls, separated by three feet, so that if one of the lions tries to reach out a claw from within the inner cage, it still couldn't touch anyone because of the outer cage. This is good because if there are children they might run right up to the cage even though there will be signs clearly saying not to do so. I know Alyssum's children would try it no matter what they were told. And there will be a gate in each cage at the same spot where the lions can be brought in, and there will be a trap door on the roof of the cage and a ladder so the food can be dropped in from above. I think it is very clever; I thought of the trap door, but the rest of it was all Pierre's idea._

_ That is mainly what I wanted to say. When I told him I was writing to you, Pierre said to send you his greetings. I asked Aster if she had any message to send to your father she said just her best wishes. You must never tell her that I said it but I am 100% scientifically certain that she loves your father, and I don't know why she won't say so. But I have often observed that people in love behave irrationally. Maybe if he is not very busy, your father might accompany the lions and see if he can make Aster reasonable. I know you very much wish for them to marry, and I think it would be a very good thing, for then I could often come to visit and research what other Paloman animals I might want for the zoological garden._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Colombine of Beloeil_

Letter from Prince Ferdinand of Paloma to Princess Columbine of Beloeil,

_Dear Columbine,_

_ Thank you for your letter, I was most interested to hear about the lions' cage and also your thoughts on couriers. I think if I had to be something other than a prince, I would like to be a courier. We have only four couriers._

_ I certainly will accompany the lions, and I will endeavor to find the very best way to transport them. I think you should ask for Pierre's opinion on this, as he seems to have a very good head for such things. Tell him I will be very glad to see him again. I think I may be able to persuade my father to accompany me. I might just have to be direct with him. For some time I was able to convince him that my main interest in Beloeil was yourself, but he has long since seen that for the ruse it was, and I am sure he now suspects my real motives. If you are certain of your sister's regard for him, I must press him to go with me, that is clear. I do so want your sister for a stepmother, it would be the jolliest thing. _

_ Please reply with further ideas as to the traveling arrangements for Orsino and Viola and I will go to work at once on my father._

_Sincerely,_

_ Ferdinand of Paloma_

Excerpt of a letter from Duchess Eglantine of Galmans to Rose Clementier:

…_Columbine writes to say the lions are coming. May God preserve us all. They had better not get out and eat the horses. Or the baby. Who, by the by, has started to kick. I cannot understand why Alyssum has undertaken this experience for the fourth time…_

Letter from King Antonio of Paloma to Princess Aster of Beloeil:

_My dear Aster,_

_ Firstly, congratulate your sister Ivy on her engagement to Lord Matteo. I have met him several times on diplomatic occasions, and know him to be the best of men._

_ Secondly, I apologize for the introduction of wild beasts into your hitherto peaceful kingdom._

_ Thirdly, my son wishes me to accompany him and the lions to Beloeil, but I would not wish to impose my presence upon you if it is unwelcome. If you wish me to come, you must tell me so._

_ With all my love,_

_ Antonio_

Letter from Princess Aster of Beloeil to King Antonio of Paloma,

_Dear Antonio,_

_ Come._

_Aster_


	16. Ch 15 Of Love and Lions

Here it is, faithful readers! The final chapter, which I hope will bring everyone great satisfaction. (There will be an epilogue to follow) – queen eleni

**Chapter Fifteen: Of Love and Lions**

Aster's nerves were all on edge. It was the day of the expected arrival of the lions from Paloma. While Columbine happily busied herself with plans for the lions' comfort (they were to spend a night on the palace grounds before proceeding on to Galmans), Aster found herself pacing. Pacing about the gardens, up and down hallways, in and out of rooms. She had never known herself to be so anxious. Her mind shifted between eagerness to see King Antonio and fear that for some reason he would have changed his mind. And then she wondered yet again if she had made the right choice. In love as she was, her objections to marriage still hovered on the outskirts of her mind. Would she be confined to the palace grounds of Paloma to the end of her days? Must she forgo the pleasures of travel and the privacy required for her "scribblings" in favor of royal audiences? She did not really think so much sacrifice was required. She knew that powerful as Paloma was, King Antonio was not a man given to much pomp and circumstance, and neither was he a man to demand she give up her own interests. But she had for so long been so adamant in prefering the single state that she needed reassurance that her decision was the correct one.

She settled down at last in the library, not with a book, but curled up in a window seat looking upon the gardens. When the muffled sounds of a great commotion reached her, she knew that they had arrived, but she did not stir. She could not meet him so publicly, in front of everyone, lions include. So she sat and waited, and eventually there was the sound of the door opening.

"Hello, Aster," said the king of Paloma, stepping into the library and shutting the door behind him. "A servant told me I might find you here." He stood some feet away from the window-seat, hands folded behind his back, only the look in his eyes betraying any feeling.

She could not think of what to say, so she asked how the lions had made the journey.

"Well enough, though I must say it took a great deal of tact on my part to convince various nobles to permit the presence of lions on their land," he replied conversationally. "I sincerely hope I shall never have to make such a journey again. I hope you are well?"

"Very well," she managed, having difficulty meeting his eye. How could he just stand there and make small talk?

"I am glad to hear it," he said. "And now that we have done with the pleasantries, would you please accept my proposal of marriage? And do keep in mind that I traveled three days and nights in the company of my son and two disgruntled lions in order to make this proposal."

She laughed in spite of herself, and said, as she stood and walked toward him, "I suppose it really would be too bad of me to make you come all this way and then refuse you."

"It would really be most bad-mannered of you," he agreed, taking her into his arms and giving her all the reassurance she required.

"I am most satisfied with the engagement," said Princess Lavender to her husband later that evening, as she sat curled up in the corner of the room's small sofa.

"I should hope you would be," replied Alain. "If you thought the king of Paloma not grand enough for your sister, I should think you mad. He must be the wealthiest man in the world!"

"You wrong me if you think I consider wealth as being at all relevant," said Lavender severely. "I am satisfied because he is just the man for her. Now if I could only arrange matters for Columbine, I shall think I have done with sisterly duty."

"What, have you no plans for Celandine?"

"If I can ever succeed in convincing Celandine to believe herself healthy for two days together, that will be a great acheivement. I expect that she will remain unwed, absorbed in her music and her illnesses, and shall outlive us all."

"If you say so," said Alain. Having untied his neckcloth, he leaned back into the sofa next to his wife. "Have you any schemes to effect the match between Pierre and Columbine before you lose your wager?"

"I wouldn't tell you if I did. But I don't," she sighed, comfortably arranging herself with her head on his shoulder. "I begin to think that nothing short of being attacked by lions could bring her to her senses."

"In that case, turn your mind to pleasanter things," said her husband as his arm tightened about her.

Princess Columbine had wished to participate in the installation of Orsino and Viola into their new quarters, but here she met an obstacle in the form of her father. King Claude had in the past few years become the most indulgent of fathers, but he drew the line at lions. To everyone's relief, he categorically refused to allow Columbine to be present at the transfer of the lions from their cage on wheels (designed by Pierre Lefeyrac) to their more permanent abode. Columbine was too surprised by the force of his pronouncement to argue. Emboldened by his success, King Claude then decreed that Columbine ought to be present at her sister Aster's engagement party the following evening. And so it was that three days passed before Columbine, accompanied by Pierre (under strict instructions to keep Columbine from doing anything imprudent), traveled to Galmans.

Columbine was so impatient to see how her zoological garden was progressing that she turned down Eglantine's offer of refreshment and insisted on proceeding immediately to the site. A servant was dispatched to arrange to bring the phaeton round, and they were soon on their way, Pierre, who was driving the vehicle, wishing that they could have at least stayed for a cup of tea. He was, however, eager to see what progress had been made in the last months. He was to be impressed; a tall iron-wrought fence had been constructed all around the perimeter of the site, and as they pulled through the main gate, Pierre could see that the small building constructed for the use of the garden's workers had been recently completed. Almost before they had come to a full stop, Columbine leapt down from the phaeton and made for the building.

"I'm j-just going to g-greet the men, then I m-must go and see Hugo!" she said to him. He nodded and drove the phaeton round to the stabling area behind the building. As he saw that the horses were looked to, he reflected that Columbine's impatience might well be due to her desire to see her favorite bear. The bears had been moved from the palace menagerie to Galmans several weeks earlier, and, ridiculous as it may have sounded to anyone else, Pierre knew she must have been missing Hugo the bear, whom she was in the habit of visiting daily.

He lingered in the stables for several minutes, asking the grooms how things were coming along, and when he walked into the building to see the workers, nattily attired in their official Beloeil Zoological Garden uniforms, he found the Columbine had already went in search of her bear.

"Asked for the keys to the cages and off she went," said the senior worker, shaking his head. "She's some princess, that one, bless her. Wanting to go see those bears of hers, she said. I told her she'd get eaten, but she just laughed and said the bears were as tame as lapdogs."

"She was telling the truth," said Pierre, who had watched admiringly as Columbine had gradually tamed the newer bear into domestication. "This is a very fine drawing."

He lifted the top sheet of a pile of neatly drawn maps of the site and examined it.

"Yes, we're going to distribute them to the visitors," said a younger man. "Princess Columbine was very pleased with them, and took one with to go find the bears. She said so much more has been built in the last months that she might well get lost."

Pierre looked closely at the map, and frowned. "I say, are you sure this is right? I remember drawing up the original plans, and I think that the sites of the bear cage and the lion cage are reversed."

The men gathered round to look, and it was a moment before the senior worker said. "You're right, they have been mixed up. The cages are nearly identical, that's what caused the mistake. We'll have to make new ones."

Pierre was filled with a sense of foreboding. Clutching the map in his hand, he sprinted out the door, leaving behind several bewildered workers.

As he ran, Pierre tried to calm himself, reasoning that Columbine could not be so foolish as to enter a cage without waiting to see who occupied it. But she was in an impatient and headstrong mood, and he could not depend on her to be cautious. With a sickening feeling, he remembered the thick foliage that they had planned for the lions' comfort; that same thick foliage would make it quite possible to hide the lions from her first view. He hoped he was wrong; he hoped the key would stick, he hoped the lions would bring themselves to her attention before she walked into the cage. But he feared being too late, and ran all the faster.

When the cage finally was in view, he perceived that his fears had been justified. Columbine stood still inside the second door to the cage, which was open behind her. She was rooted to the ground her eyes fixed before her, to where the female lion was standing not twenty feet away. The male lion sat on a low, flat rock, not as perturbed by the human presence as his mate, but with his eyes also fixed on the intruder. As he swiftly and silently approached the cage, Pierre felt a surge of relief that Columbine had been sensible enough to remain calm and immobile. Movement would surely provoke the lionness to action, and he could not calculate whether Columbine would have time to turn, run, and bolt the gate before the animal had rushed at her with all her weight, teeth, and claws.

He acted according to a hastily thought-out scheme. Reaching the cage, he ran round to the ladder, bolted up it, and unlatched the trap door. Thank heavens that the trap door was closed with a simple slide bolt and did not require a key! The noise of his climb distracted both lions, but the lionness only glanced at him momentarily before returning her attention to Columbine. Pierre caught Columbine's wide-eyed and terrified gaze and smiled reassuringly at her before grabbing tight hold of an iron cross-bar and swinging his body into the cage.

"Go!" he shouted as he did so, and he was pleased to find that his grip on the bar was firm, and that he was dangling from the cage ceiling rather than crumpled in a heap on the ground. As the lionness turned and rushed toward him, Columbine unfroze and sped out of the cage, fumbling to lock both gates behind her. Pierre was now entirely focused on preserving his own life. The cage was high, but not high enough to be out of danger. The lioness was now directly underneath him, and he saw out of the corner of his eye that the male lion had been roused to action and was jumping down from his rock. Pierre tightened his grip on the bar and prepared to swing his legs forward, just as the lionness leaped into the air. He was only a fraction too slow; one claw made contact with his right foot, his boot was off, there was a stinging sensation, and he failed to get his hook his knees over another cross-bar. But the boot was a distraction; as the lionness tore at it with her teeth and the male lion was quickly approaching, he swung again, and this time moved his legs out of reach. Pausing only to catch his breath, he managed to climb out of the trapdoor and across the top of the cage, fixing the bolt as he did so. Both lions were jumping at the sides of the cage, and the bars rattled as he half-climbed, half-fell down the latter. Vaguely he was pleased that he had calculated the necessary structural integrity of the cage accurately.

When he finally touched the ground, he stumbled forward a few steps before he realized the pain in his ankle. Breathing heavily, he lowered himself to the grass and regarded his ruined trouser leg and the red scratch marks on his skin.

Columbine was there in an instant. She said nothing as she sat down beside him and began to neatly wrap her shawl around the bleeding portion of his leg.

Pierre regarded her as he attempted to steady his breathing. Her eyes remained wide and frightened and her face was pale, and she was obviously exerting great effort to keep her hands from shaking. She was alive, which was the main thing. What would have happened if he had not arrived at that moment? Perhaps she would have come up with some hairbrained solution (he knew his own had been less than brilliant), but if not? The realization of how close he had come to losing her made him shudder.

"It's fine," he said, as she knotted the makeshift bandage. "The scratches aren't very deep. I daresay I'll barely limp at all."

She made no reply, only sat back and stared at him with that wide-eyed gaze. She must have been frightened out of her wits. He attempted to cheer her up.

"Come, it was the most shocking thing, but we're out of danger now. I hope you'll be more careful in entering cages in the future, but it was really all the fault of that map. They switched the cages on it, you know."

She continued to stare at him. He took her hand in his and said gently, "Columbine, it's all right. We're both all right."

"You could have D-DIED!" she said at last.

"But I didn't," he said, moving closer to her and putting a comforting arm about her shoulders. "Though I'll have to say it was a close business, and I hope I never again have reason to fling myself into a cage of lions."

She buried her face in his shoulder and said something wholly inaudible.

"I beg your pardon?" he inquired.

"I l-love you."

"What?"

"I s-said, I l-love you," she repeated, raising her head. At his stunned look, she explained herself. "I d-didn't realize it until I s-saw the lion j-jump at you. And then it was c-clear that I've _always_ l-loved you."

"Well," said Pierre, collecting his wits. "That's the best of news, for I've always loved you, too."

"R-Really?"

"Really," he affirmed. "Will you marry me?"

"Y-yes," she answered with a dazzling smile. He pulled her even closer and rested his cheek against her hair. They sat thus in companionable silence for several minutes before Columbine spoke.

"P-Pierre?"

"Yes?"

"I c-can't say I know m-much about the subject," she said, "b-but I think at this p-point we ought to k-kiss or something."

"You are perfectly right," Pierre replied. And so they explored the subject of kissing together.

"You are a remarkable woman," said Alain to his wife the following evening.

"How so?"

"You said it would be lions that brought Columbine to her senses, and so it was."

Lavender gave a slight shiver. "Yes indeed, but to know how close to death they both were! I do hope that Pierre will be able to keep her from ever plunging into such mischief again."

They had that afternoon received a note, written by Pierre, delivered from Galmans by courier, explaining the incident with the lions and announcing the engagement. Prince Ferdinand, upon hearing the news, told his future stepmother that he was pleased his lions should be the means of bringing two such ideal couples together. Aster replied that she could have done without the lions for her part; but she was immensely happy that they should have proved useful to Columbine.

"And so you have won the wager, my love," said Alain, "and I must take you on a voyage to Eldyfa. When would you like to go? King Antonio wishes his wedding to take place as soon as possible, and I daresay Pierre and Columbine won't be clamoring for a wedding that requires months of preparation. We could begin our voyaging after the weddings, perhaps in two or three months' time?"

"I'm afraid the journey shall have to be put off a good deal longer than that," said Lavender.

"Whatever for?" her husband asked, puzzled. "You've been wanting to visit Eldyfa for years!"

"I won't be in a happy condition for traveling," said Lavender. "And all that bumping about in the carriage wouldn't be good for the baby."

"The baby?" Alain's jaw dropped. "Lavender! Do you mean-?"

"Yes, my love," she laughed as she was lifted in his embrace. "I suspected, but I went to see Lily and François this morning to be sure. I am so happy to see all my sisters settled, for it is time I gave up matchmaking for motherhood."


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The grand opening of Beloeil's Royal Zoological Garden took place two months later. The sun shone brilliantly, the animals were in fine fettle, and nearly all of the princesses were present. Princess Laurel and Prince Morgan and their two sons had come all the way from Eldyfa, and Princess Marigold and Prince Loc had traveled from Gemn. King Antonio and Prince Ferdinand had arrived from Paloma to attend the event. Several days later they would travel back with Aster and various family members to perform the marriage ceremony at the Paloman court, at the insistence of the Paloman noble, who could not bear the thought of their monarch being married in a quiet ceremony in a smaller, almost provincial, kingdom.

Pierre and Columbine had been more fortunate. They had wed a full month before, in a ceremony attended only by their immediate families. Columbine said they were too busy with the zoological garden for a fuss to be made, and they indeed spent the first weeks of their marriage busily occupied at Galmans.

There were people everywhere; not only the royal family, but local peasants and all of Galmans' staff, and a variety of in-laws. Columbine's idea that entrance should be free had brought in people from every station of life, all awed by the strange creatures in their cages. After King Claude gave a speech thanking all those who had contributed to the garden's construction, there was a great cheer, and the crowd dispersed to see what they could see.

"You really have done amazing work here, Columbine," said Aster to her sister as they sat sipping lemonade under an awning that had been constructed for the purpose.

"It's a remarkable way to bring people together," said Lavender. "Something that every Beloeilan can enjoy together."

"I c-can't believe that Uncle M-Melfleur came," said Columbine. "D-did you see him making f-faces at the monkeys?"

"You are sure the lion cage is perfectly safe?" asked Lily. "Hubert manages to get into everything these days!"

"It's locked and bolted, and the keys are in my pocket," said Pierre with a grin as he walked over with a fresh glass of lemonade for his wife. "And in any case, Orsino and Viola are refusing to do anything more exciting than yawn today."

"I can't believe you threw yourself into the cage, Pierre," said Marigold, who had demanded a retelling of the lion story serveral times since her arrival. "I wish I had been there to see it! It must have been so exciting!"

"I'm sure Pierre doesn't wish you had been there," snorted Eglantine, who was getting very large and looking very uncomfortable. "I doubt he could have proposed to Columbine had you been there swooning and screeching."

"It is so pleasant to see all the children enjoying themselves together," interposed Rose before Marigold could retort. Rose's own baby girl was sitting on her knee and trying to grab her mother's lemonade.

"There are a g-good many of them," said Columbine. "Why, at this p-ace, there could b-be several dozen within t-ten years or so. I d-daresay we'll have trouble remembering all their n-names."

From her stance at the edge of the forest, Princess Betony smiled. There was the slightest of movements behind her, and she turned to see her husband, the Faerie Prince.

"All well?" he asked, coming to stand behind her.

"All well," she affirmed. "There is great happiness today. Everything has turned out so well."

"Thanks in large part to you," he said, taking her hand. "And they have no idea, do they?"

"No," she said, still smiling. "But I didn't do so much. Just nudged things here and there when necessary. Making sure that horse ran straight to the Duke after Eglantine came here was easy enough. And arranging for Aster to accompany Columbine to Galmans wasn't too difficult. Marigold and Rose both managed their own affairs without me, and all I did for Ivy was throw about some magic in the gardens that would encourage both her and Matteo to be direct with each other. Columbine was the only real challenge. I was very uneasy about having to resort to switching out those maps. I was close by and was on the verge of enchanting the lions into calmness when Pierre managed to make good his escape. But nothing less than sheer terror would have done it for Columbine."

"I am glad to see you use your acquired magical powers so well," said the prince. "But I think you leave something out. I believe I overheard my mother helping you with some kind of potion."

"Oh, that was something I slipped into Lavender's wine," said Betony, as they turned to make their way back into the forest. "Now her happiness shall be as complete as my own."

And this is how they lived happily ever after:

Some ten years later, King Claude abdicated and spent his old age in the company of his several dozen grandchildren. When he died he was buried beside his wife in the garden.

Princess Lavender gave birth to remarkably healthy twin boys, who spent much of their childhood terrorizing the palace's inhabitants. Lavender and Alain became Queen and King of Beloeil upon King Claude's abdication and were known far and wide as wise and benevolent rulers.

Princess Betony lived in the Enchanted Forest till the end of her days, only occasionally performing magical interventions in her sisters' lives. Her half-human, half-Faerie offspring were numerous. Some remained in the Forest, but several decided to try life in the human world and settled in the farmlands and townships of Beloeil.

Queen Aster of Paloma hugely enjoyed her life. She traveled extensively, often accompanied by her husband and stepson, but also spent much of her time exploring her adopted realm. Her interest in Paloman customs and deliberate adaptation to Paloman ways made her much beloved by her subjects. She gave birth to two daughters, who were thoroughly spoiled by both father and half-brother, but they turned out all right in the end. In later years, Aster completed her _Description of the Known World,_ a multi-volume work that became the standard in geography for generations of students.

Princess Lily and Dr. Morret had three children and a thriving medical practice. But they never completely cured Princess Celandine.

Princess Ivy married Lord Matteo several months after Prince Andrei of Iluska's marriage to Lady Arabel of Mecant. By this time, Prince Andrei had nearly forgotten that he had ever been interested in Ivy at all, and he very graciously received her as the wife of his favorite diplomatic emissary. Ivy and Matteo settled in an elegant house in Iluska's capital and became renowned both for their art collection and for their five well-dressed children.

Princess Rose merrily cooked and cleaned for her husband and four children, even though her dowry could have paid for a score of servants. She also was often to be found cooking and cleaning for Princess Alyssum's family whenever that lady faced a domestic crisis.

Princess Laurel and Prince Morgan succeeded to the rulership of Eldyfa five years after the grand opening of Beloeil's Royal Zoological Garden. They had four sons and a daughter.

Princess Eglantine, after a long and difficult labor, gave birth to a son who was surprisingly sweet-tempered. He was followed three years later by his demanding and strong-willed sister. With the encouragement of her husband, their horse-related work, and the challenges of motherhood, Eglantine gradually learned to control her temper to a degree that impressed all of her sisters. The horses bred at Galmans fetched buyers from the edges of the world.

Princess Marigold became much occupied with her six daughters, but Prince Loc managed to arrange an adventure for her every now and then. As his daughters reached adolescence, the prince had his hands full preventing escapes, elopements, and abductions.

Princess Celandine never married and was often ill, but she outlived all of her sisters save Betony. After all her sisters had wed, she claimed a suite of rooms in the palace for herself and her musical instruments from which all children were strictly prohibited. Although she never became fond of little ones, she eventually came to enjoy the company of several of her older, musically-inclined nieces and nephews.

Princess Columbine's marriage to Pierre Lefeyrac was the making of both of them. Their partnership produced a wealth of advances in zoology, technology, a joint work entitled _Observations on Animal Life_, and seven children who inherited their parents' innate curiosity. Upon the death of Lord Dalfeu, Keeper of the Royal Treasury of Beloeil, Pierre was given the position, which he filled most ably. At his ceremony of investiture, Columbine tripped over the hem of her gown and broke her nose, which remained slightly crooked to the end of her life.

Princess Alyssum and Michael Star-Gazer had twelve children in all (without any magical assistance). They were named Melissa, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Daffodil, Rowan, Ash, Hyacinth, Hawthorn, Clematis, Daisy, Holly, Kale, and Gladiolus. After passing on the position of head-gardener to his son Jack, Michael purchased a small piece of property in the country, where he and Alyssum planted and tended a beautiful garden of their own.


End file.
